EA Closes BioWare and Cancels Next Mass Effect
EA has confirmed it will close BioWare, cut about 400 jobs across the company, and cancel the planned Mass Effect title. The studio had been restructured to focus on one project at a time after several troubled releases. Around 50 BioWare staff are affected, with some employees moving to other EA teams.
EA's reduction affects roughly 400 positions, about 3 percent of its workforce, including 50 at BioWare. Staff learned of the move through a letter from COO David Tinson. The publisher also cancelled a Sims-related project and is reducing the team on its latest Skate title.
BioWare, active for more than three decades, had been reorganized to work on one title at a time after difficult launches for Anthem, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. EA went private this year following a $55 billion buyout by a Saudi investment fund and targeted up to $700 million in savings by lowering R&D spending.
The cuts may affect roughly 400 employees across EA, including 50 at BioWare, with some BioWare employees possibly moving to other EA teams. Fans of Mass Effect and Dragon Age could lose a long-running source of shared culture and community. The cancellation may also signal to other studios that large single-player RPGs remain risky, potentially influencing what games get funded and which stories reach players.