# EA closes BioWare and cancels the next Mass Effect

> EA is shutting down BioWare after 30-plus years and ending early work on the next Mass Effect, as part of roughly 400 layoffs, per Bloomberg.

By Subhajit | 2026-10-21 | Games | Savvy VibeZ
Web page: https://savvyvibez.com/post/ea-closes-bioware-and-cancels-the-next-mass-effect

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate, and early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending with it. The news was confirmed on Wednesday by BioWare's own social accounts and in a memo to staff from EA executives, according to IGN, Polygon and Eurogamer.

## What EA and BioWare said

"For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio," the developer wrote, as quoted by Eurogamer. "Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending."

In the staff memo, EA's David Tinson and Cam Weber said a small BioWare team had been working on early development for Mass Effect, and that EA had "made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we're closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace," Polygon reported. The memo also described Battlefield 6 as "a great success."

## The wider cuts

Bloomberg reported that EA is laying off about 400 people, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, with around 50 of those roles at BioWare. EA says it will concentrate on franchises such as Battlefield, Apex Legends and its sports titles, and continue Star Wars Jedi 3 and Marvel's Iron Man, though with "fewer simultaneous, large-scale projects" in action-adventure, per IGN's reading of the memo.

IGN also reported that the Sims project known as Project Lotus is paused while Project Evergreen continues, and that the Skate team will become smaller and more focused.

## Why it matters

The closure arrives a few months after EA went private in a $55 billion buyout backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. Polygon noted the company had promised to cut annual costs by $700 million after the deal.

BioWare was founded in 1995 and acquired by EA in 2007. Its recent years were difficult: Eurogamer reported that the live-service game Anthem fell short, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed EA's internal sales expectations. Mass Effect: Andromeda, from 2017, drew a mixed response, while the 2021 Legendary Edition remaster of the original trilogy was well received, IGN noted.

It is not yet clear what the closure means for Amazon's planned Mass Effect television series. IGN said that question remains open.

Picture credit: BioWare / Electronic Arts (Mass Effect Legendary Edition art)