Mass Effect 5 and BioWare Reportedly Died So Star Wars Battlefront 3 Could Live

BioWare, the creator of popular game series such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is said to have been shut down by Electronic Arts (EA) after the company prioritized the development of Star Wars: Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5. The decision came following EA's financial troubles, with the company reportedly having $18 billion in debt after its $55 billion acquisition by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

EA deemed Star Wars: Battlefront 3 a safer investment compared to the high-risk Mass Effect 5, both of which were expected to cost hundreds of millions to produce. This decision was influenced by BioWare's recent commercial failures with games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as internal politics within the company's management.

The closure of BioWare came just weeks after the leak of a Mass Effect 5 trailer, revealing the game's potential storyline, characters, and setting. The leaked trailer, created for EA leadership and not intended for public release, featured familiar elements from previous Mass Effect titles and even included a leaked sex scene and a galaxy map.

BioWare currently has around 50 employees working on the Mass Effect 5 project, following previous layoffs that saw 400 jobs cut across EA. The company's Austin studio remains open, supporting various EA game development efforts. Despite the closure of BioWare, a petition to save the Mass Effect franchise has garnered over 300,000 signatures, though it remains uncertain whether EA would revive the series.

BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk attributes the studio's closure to the $55 private buyout of EA by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, stating that it marked the "final nail in the coffin." Zeschuk believes that EA's focus on annual sports game production is a more profitable business model. Meanwhile, Star Wars: Battlefront 3 is reportedly in development at Respawn and DICE, though details about the game remain scarce.