BioWare, the Canadian developer behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending, two months after EA's sale to private investors. The announcement came alongside a Bloomberg report stating that 400 jobs have been cut across EA, with around 50 at BioWare.
BioWare's Closure and Mass Effect Cancellation
BioWare was founded in 1995 and produced early classics such as the first two Baldur's Gate games and Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic. The studio later specialised in narrative-driven action role-players, including Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. After 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda, the studio lost momentum, with live service game Anthem proving a failure and Dragon Age: The Veilguard suffering from poor marketing despite a solid critical reception.
In a statement on X, the company said: 'After more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.' The statement added: 'There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.'
Job Cuts and EA's Financial Situation
The closure follows EA's sale to private investors, including the Saudi Arabian government and a US-based firm founded by Jared Kushner. To engineer the sale, EA took on $18 billion (£13.4 billion) of debt, and in August the company admitted that would result in £125 million worth of layoffs.
EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cameron Weber said in a letter reportedly sent to staff: 'Across our portfolio, we're making deliberate choices to align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth.' The cuts represent just 3% of EA's current staff, leaving the possibility of further layoffs.
Other Projects Affected and Future Plans
According to Bloomberg, developers have been laid off at Skate creator Full Circle, and The Sims title Project Lotus has been cancelled in favour of a different game, codenamed Project Evergreen. EA has confirmed that its Iron Man game has not been cancelled, and that Respawn and DICE are collaborating on a new title, likely to be the rumoured Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Star Wars Jedi 3 is also in development, with recent rumours suggesting an imminent reveal. EA will continue to support the Battlefield franchise, and a new open-world American football game, codenamed Project Gridiron, is apparently in development.
