EA closes BioWare, cancels next Mass Effect game

Electronic Arts has closed BioWare and ended early development of the next Mass Effect game, according to a staff letter. About 400 jobs are being cut across EA, including roughly 50 at BioWare’s Edmonton studio.

The studio had fewer than 100 employees before the closure. A small team was working on the early stages of the next Mass Effect project, which has now been canceled.

In the letter, EA called BioWare “a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre” and described the decision as difficult. BioWare confirmed the closure on X, saying that after more than three decades, it was closing and development of the next Mass Effect project was ending.

The closure is part of a broader restructuring. EA is canceling a Sims game and other projects while focusing on fewer titles. The company is increasing investment in Apex Legends and continuing development of the next Star Wars Jedi game, Marvel’s Iron Man and Battlefield.

Respawn Entertainment and DICE are collaborating on another project. EA has not identified the game. A Star Wars Battlefront title has been suggested, but the company has not confirmed that description.

The restructuring follows the completion of EA’s $55 billion leveraged buyout, led by Saudi Arabia’s investment fund, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s investment firm. The transaction closed two months before the BioWare announcement.

BioWare was founded in Edmonton in 1995. The studio developed Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic before EA acquired it in 2007. It later created the Dragon Age series and the Mass Effect trilogy.

The studio had several setbacks over the past decade. Mass Effect: Andromeda received poor reviews, Anthem performed below expectations and was later shut down, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a troubled development. The game sold about 1.5 million copies, below EA’s expectations.

EA has not disclosed whether it sought a buyer for BioWare or its franchises. The status of the planned Mass Effect television series being developed with Amazon is also unclear.