Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and canceling the new Mass Effect
Electronic Arts announced a significant restructuring of its gaming divisions. One of its main consequences will be the closure of BioWare, the studio renowned for the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. The company also decided to abandon the development of a new Mass Effect.
According to Variety, EA employees learned about the upcoming changes from an internal letter by the company’s Executive Vice President Cam Weber and Chief Operating Officer David Tinson.
The executives explained that EA intends to concentrate resources on the most promising business directions and reduce the number of large-scale projects being developed concurrently.
Specifically, the company decided to halt work on the new Mass Effect, which was in the early stages of development. Along with this, EA will close BioWare and its office in Edmonton, Canada.
"BioWare is a legendary studio that has helped shape the RPG genre. We did not make this decision lightly," reads the letter from EA's leadership.
It should be noted that in recent years, BioWare has faced significant challenges. Its latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released in October 2024, did not meet Electronic Arts' commercial expectations. Following this, the publisher reduced the studio’s team and focused the remaining developers on the new Mass Effect.
The closure of BioWare will be part of more extensive cuts at EA. According to Variety, the company plans to lay off about 3% of its staff. Previously, it employed 14,500 people, meaning the cuts could affect around 400 employees.
The restructuring will also impact other EA divisions. Specifically, the publisher intends to combine the efforts of Respawn Entertainment and DICE to develop a new shooter. According to Variety's sources, this pertains to Star Wars: Battlefront 3, although the company has not officially named the project yet.
Meanwhile, EA will continue to invest in Apex Legends, as well as the development of a new Star Wars Jedi and Marvel’s Iron Man. Additionally, the company will revisit development plans for The Sims and skate.
Notably, this is the first major restructuring of Electronic Arts since the company's transition to private ownership. In August 2026, a deal for its acquisition by a consortium of investors, which included Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, was finalized. The acquisition was valued at $55 billion.