BioWare to close and next Mass Effect cancelled as EA cuts about 400 jobs
In short
BioWare announced it is closing, and early development of the next Mass Effect project is ending. Russian outlets, citing Bloomberg, report that Electronic Arts plans to cut about 400 staff, around 3% of its workforce, including about 50 at BioWare.
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BioWare announced that it is closing. According to Kommersant and RIA Novosti, the studio's statement said that after more than three decades of shared adventures BioWare is closing and early development of the next project in the Mass Effect universe is ending. Kommersant said the statement was published on BioWare's Instagram page. [ 6 , 7 ]
Reports of the closure were accompanied by news of wider cuts at the parent company. Jason Schreier, citing a source familiar with the publisher's plans, reported that Electronic Arts intends to cut about 400 employees, including about 50 at BioWare. Bloomberg, as cited by RIA Novosti, Kommersant and RBC, also reported the cuts, which amount to about 3% of the company's staff. StopGame said that, according to Bloomberg, the company intends to close BioWare. [ 3 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
StopGame wrote that EA's chief operating officer David Tinson and the head of its studios division, Cam Weber, explained the decision in a letter to staff as a revision of company strategy. 3DNews quoted the publisher as saying it is deliberately allocating talent and investment to the areas with the greatest prospects for players and long-term growth. [ 3 , 5 ]
Along with the Mass Effect project, a new game in The Sims series was cancelled. 3DNews named it Project Lotus. It said another Sims project, Project Evergreen, and the skateboarding game Skate will continue, although the teams of both will be reduced. Respawn Entertainment and DICE will work together on a joint project, which Bloomberg, as cited by 3DNews, said is likely the rumoured Star Wars Battlefront 3. StopGame noted that EA has not officially confirmed this. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
EA said it will keep investing in sports games, adventure action games such as the next Star Wars Jedi and Marvel's Iron Man, and Battlefield shooters, 3DNews reported. StopGame also listed Apex Legends among the priorities, and 3DNews listed the return of the Fight Night boxing series. [ 3 , 5 ]
BioWare was founded in 1995 and became part of Electronic Arts in 2007, according to Igromania, StopGame and Kommersant. Its games include Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. StopGame said the studio's recent position had worsened, that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of EA's sales expectations, and that EA carried out large layoffs at BioWare in June 2025. Igromania and 3DNews said EA had recently come under the control of Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The closure ends a studio founded in 1995 that made Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Outlets link the decision to a strategy review at Electronic Arts, which says it is shifting resources to other projects.
Key facts
- BioWare said in a social media post that it is closing and that early development of the next Mass Effect project is ending. [ 6 , 7 ]
- Electronic Arts plans to cut about 400 employees, around 3% of its staff, including about 50 at BioWare, according to Bloomberg. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- EA also cancelled a new The Sims game, named in one report as Project Lotus. [ 5 , 6 ]
- BioWare was founded in 1995 and became part of Electronic Arts in 2007. [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]
- Respawn Entertainment and DICE will work together on a joint project. [ 3 , 5 ]
- EA said it will continue to invest in sports games, Apex Legends, the next Star Wars Jedi, Marvel's Iron Man and Battlefield. [ 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What the joint Respawn Entertainment and DICE project is. Outlets cite Bloomberg and insiders saying it may be Star Wars Battlefront 3, but StopGame says EA has not officially confirmed this.
- How many BioWare staff are affected in total by the closure. The documents mention about 50 BioWare employees among the layoffs but give no figure for the whole studio.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Igromania reported that BioWare would be closed and the next Mass Effect cancelled. [ 1 ]
- StopGame updated its report, saying BioWare had officially confirmed the closure and the cancellation. [ 3 ]
- TASS reported that BioWare announced it was ceasing operations. [ 4 ]
- Kommersant published the studio's statement and the report of EA's planned cuts. [ 6 ]
- RBC reported that EA plans to cut about 400 employees and close BioWare. [ 8 ]