EA shuts down BioWare after 31 years, cancels next Mass Effect game

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the 31-year-old development studio, according to a letter sent to employees on Wednesday. The announcement marks the end of one of the industry's most prominent publishers of role-playing games. In the same communication, the company confirmed that early development work on the next installment in the Mass Effect franchise has been canceled.

The studio, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2008, was responsible for several beloved series. Its catalog includes Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, and the Baldur’s Gate franchise. The letter described the team as a legendary studio, a designation that highlights the significant shift in the company's portfolio.

Electronic Arts stated that the decision not to move forward with the Mass Effect project was made while a small team was working on early development. The next game in the series had been first announced in November 2020. That December, an official trailer was released on the franchise's YouTube channel. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a remaster of the original trilogy, was released in 2021.

Since that release, the studio has been relatively quiet except for the 2024 launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The company described the game as engaging about 1.5 million players during its launch quarter. This figure was down nearly 50% from the company's expectations. While the reception may have influenced the current decision, the publisher did not explicitly state that connection.

The letter focused heavily on three strategic priorities: Deepen Our Core, Expand Our Reach, and Transform Our Business. Battlefield 6 was noted as a great success. The company is also focusing on Apex Legends modes, Marvel’s Iron Man, and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Under the EA Sports heading, Project Gridiron is being developed as a social-first, open-world American football experience. A Fight Night revival is currently in pre-production.

The publisher also mentioned its intention to prioritize efforts on Project Evergreen, which is associated with The Sims. Those impacted by the closure will be supported in exploring other opportunities within Electronic Arts. The company did not provide a specific job count for the affected employees. Neither the Mass Effect nor the Dragon Age series was declared permanently dead, and the studio's previously released games were not mentioned in the letter.

BioWare general manager Gary McKay had previously stated that only a core team was working on the next Mass Effect game. He noted that the project did not require support from the full studio as colleagues were matched with other teams at EA. The move is not entirely unexpected, as job cuts have been common in the industry. Microsoft, for example, announced 3,200 Xbox job cuts in July, citing low margins.

Electronic Arts itself went private in August of last year. The company did not reveal specific dates for major upcoming titles. It plans to discuss its direction and the work ahead with staff at its Global Town Hall in November. For now, the publisher appears to be doubling down on its core franchises while dropping the studio to refocus on areas that have been performing well.

The closure signals a significant restructuring for the company, which is shifting resources away from traditional role-playing games. The decision reflects a broader trend in the gaming industry where publishers are consolidating efforts around proven formulas. Employees will look to the November town hall for more clarity on the future of the studio's personnel and assets.