EA is shutting down BioWare

Electronic Arts has announced the closure of BioWare, the renowned game studio behind beloved RPGs such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Accompanying the closure, EA has decided to halt development on the upcoming Mass Effect title, according to an employee statement. The company is also reportedly laying off approximately 400 employees, including 50 from BioWare, as a result of EA's recent transition to private ownership by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.

This recent wave of major adjustments includes 3,200 job cuts at Xbox, significant layoffs at Bungie, and over 1,000 staff reductions at Fortnite developer Epic Games.

In a statement, EA president and chief studios officer Cam Weber and EA president and COO David Tinson expressed their regret, acknowledging that BioWare has been more than just a studio but a home for storytellers and developers. They noted that the closure follows a series of recent setbacks, including the mixed reception to 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda and the failed live service game Anthem. Additionally, BioWare faced challenges with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which underperformed in sales.

The announcement came alongside several other projects in development at EA, with Respawn and DICE collaborating on a future project, potentially a new Star Wars: Battlefront game. The company is also still working on Marvel’s Iron Man, a new Star Wars Jedi title, a social-first open-world football game called Project Gridiron, a new Fight Night boxing title, and updates to The Sims. EA is also making changes to its Skate studio to better align with community expectations.