BioWare Closes; EA Cancels Next Mass Effect

Electronic Arts closed BioWare after three decades, cutting roughly 50 of its staff as part of a broader corporate restructuring that eliminated over 400 positions company-wide. The shutdown halts early-stage development on the next Mass Effect game, marking the end of the studio behind franchises including Dragon Age, Knights of the Old Republic, and the original Anthem.

BioWare’s decline reflects recent missteps: Mass Effect: Andromeda’s weak reception, Anthem’s failed live-service experiment, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard missing sales targets, which already triggered staff cuts in 2025. The closure follows EA’s August privatization by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in a $55 billion transaction, which prompted leadership to consolidate operations and refocus investment.

The move exemplifies ongoing upheaval across gaming companies—Microsoft’s Xbox division cut 3,200 jobs, Bungie announced significant layoffs, and Epic Games eliminated over 1,000 positions. The fate of Amazon’s in-development Mass Effect television series remains unclear, though executives had requested changes to appeal beyond the gaming audience.