EA Closes BioWare and Cancels Upcoming Mass Effect Title

Electronic Arts is undergoing significant changes, including staff layoffs and the closure of the iconic developer BioWare, known for its work on the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. This closure means that the anticipated next installment of Mass Effect, often referred to as Mass Effect 5, has been officially canceled.

In a message to employees, EA’s chief operating officer and chief studios officer shared that the company has “taken a hard look at our business” and will concentrate on its successful franchises, such as Apex Legends, Battlefield, and popular sports titles like Madden.

Reports indicate that around 400 employees will be affected by these layoffs, with approximately 50 of those coming from BioWare.

Despite the closure of BioWare, EA is moving forward with the development of a new Star Wars Jedi title, Marvel’s Iron Man, and a new Star Wars Battlefront game, with Respawn and DICE collaborating on the shooter. However, development on a Sims project known as Project Lotus is being paused, with a shift in focus to another Sims project codenamed Project Evergreen.

BioWare’s social media accounts confirmed the studio’s closure, stating, “For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life. Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.”

In their memo, the executives explained, “As we focus on these larger opportunities, we’ve had a small team at BioWare working on early development for Mass Effect. We’ve made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we’re closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace. BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly.”

The memo also highlighted Battlefield 6 as “a great success,” with plans for EA to heavily invest in Apex Legends over the coming years by introducing new gameplay modes and experiences to expand the universe.

Founded in 1995, BioWare created landmark RPGs like the original Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. After being acquired by EA in 2007, the studio produced several successful titles in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises.

The cancellation of the next Mass Effect isn’t surprising, given that it was still in early development. BioWare’s last major release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, fell short of sales expectations. The most recent Mass Effect title, 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda, received mixed reviews. In 2021, BioWare released a remastered collection of the first three Mass Effect games titled Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

In August, EA was acquired in a private equity deal involving the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake, valued at $55 billion. This deal left EA with around $18 billion in debt. Following the acquisition, the company announced plans to cut costs by $700 million, with a significant portion of that plan linked to “organizational efficiencies,” resulting in mass layoffs. Over the past two years, EA has reportedly laid off around 970 employees, raising concerns among fans about further cuts as the company seeks to reduce expenses.