EA Shuts Down Bioware After Three Decades, Cancels Next Mass Effect

EA has shuttered Bioware, the iconic RPG developer behind franchises like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate, after more than 30 years in operation. Development on the next Mass Effect has been cancelled as part of the decision. Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber and Chief Operating Officer David Tinson framed the move as aligning "talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth," though EA did not directly acknowledge its role in the closure.

The studio elimination marks the largest casualty in a broader EA restructuring: 400 employees face layoffs company-wide, with 50 coming from Bioware's ranks. EA cancelled The Sims project codenamed Lotus while doubling down on sports titles, Apex Legends, Battlefield, and the upcoming Star Wars Jedi game. Dice and Respawn are collaborating on what insiders believe is a new Star Wars: Battlefront entry.

The timing follows Dragon Age: Veilguard's underperformance—reaching only 1.5 million players versus EA's 3 million target—and the August $55 billion leveraged buyout by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners. That debt-heavy acquisition has forced EA into cost-cutting mode.