Electronic Arts Dissolves BioWare, Halting Next Mass Effect Development
The publisher is shuttering the Edmonton-based studio after 31 years to concentrate resources on Battlefield and other core franchises.
By Xiaoyu Wang ·
Electronic Arts has announced the closure of BioWare, the veteran game developer responsible for iconic franchises such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age. According to a letter sent to employees, the company is also canceling the early development stages of the next installment in the Mass Effect series. This decision effectively ends the 31-year run of the studio, which was acquired by EA in 2008.
In its communication to staff, EA described BioWare as a “legendary studio.” The publisher stated that a small team had been engaged in the initial phases of the upcoming Mass Effect title, but leadership “made the decision not to move forward with this development.” The next game in the series was originally announced in November 2020, followed by a teaser trailer released that December. Since the 2021 release of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the studio has remained relatively quiet, with Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024 serving as its most recent major launch.
The company is now shifting its strategic focus to three primary areas: Deepen Our Core, Expand Our Reach, and Transform Our Business. EA highlighted Battlefield 6 as “a great success” and is prioritizing projects such as Apex Legends modes, Marvel’s Iron Man, and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Under the EA Sports division, “Project Gridiron” is being developed as a social-first, open-world American football experience, while a Fight Night revival is currently in pre-production. The company also noted its intention to “prioritize [its] efforts on ‘Project Evergreen,’” referring to The Sims.
While EA did not specify the exact number of employees affected, it stated that impacted staff will be supported “in exploring other opportunities within EA.” Notably, neither the Mass Effect nor the Dragon Age franchises were declared dead, and the studio’s previously released titles were not explicitly mentioned in the announcement. BioWare general manager Gary McKay had previously noted that only a “core team” was working on the next Mass Effect game and did not “require support from the full studio,” as other colleagues were being matched with different teams at EA.
The underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard may have influenced the decision, though EA did not explicitly cite this factor. Early last year, the company reported that the title engaged approximately “1.5 million players during the quarter,” a figure that was “down nearly 50% from the company’s expectations.” This recent performance contrasts with the studio’s historical impact, which includes titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur’s Gate.
This move aligns with broader industry trends, as job cuts have become common; Microsoft, for example, announced 3,200 Xbox job cuts in July, citing low margins. EA has not revealed specific dates for its upcoming major titles but plans to discuss its future 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 most successful franchises while shedding the studio to refocus on proven formulas.
The closure marks a significant shift for EA, which went private in August. As the company consolidates its portfolio, the fate of BioWare’s legacy projects remains to be seen, though the immediate development pipeline has been streamlined to meet current corporate priorities.
Source: Tom's Hardware
