BioWare to close and next Mass Effect project ended, Electronic Arts announces

BioWare announced on 22 October that it is closing the studio and ending its next Mass Effect project. Game Watch said the announcement was made in a post on X. Automaton said EA announced the decision as part of a statement on its future business direction. [ 1 , 2 ]

According to Gigazine, BioWare's statement said the studio had been more than a game studio for over 30 years, and that it was closing and ending the next Mass Effect project, which was in early development. The statement said BioWare was putting its focus on supporting its teams through the transition. It thanked players for making these worlds their own. Game Watch quoted a similar message of thanks. [ 2 , 3 ]

Automaton reported that BioWare had been working on the next Mass Effect game with a small team in early development, and that the project has now been cancelled. It said the studio and its Edmonton office will be closed. EA said BioWare was a legendary studio that helped shape the RPG genre and that it had not taken the decision lightly, Automaton reported. [ 1 ]

Automaton said EA's statement also covered other studios. It described Battlefield 6 as a major success and said EA would keep investing heavily in Apex Legends over the next several years. DICE and Respawn Entertainment are to work together on future projects, and work continues on Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Gigazine said EA would continue to invest in sports games, Apex Legends and Star Wars and Marvel titles. [ 1 , 3 ]

BioWare was founded in 1995 and was bought by EA in 2007, with Gigazine giving the date as October 2007. Automaton described it as a Canadian studio. The outlets list its work as including Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Anthem. Automaton said its latest Dragon Age game was released in November 2024 and that the new Mass Effect had been announced in 2020. It also said BioWare disclosed in January 2025 that many staff would move to other EA teams. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Citing Bloomberg, Automaton said about 400 layoffs are expected across EA including BioWare. Gigazine, also citing Bloomberg, said this is about 3% of EA's employees and includes about 50 BioWare staff. Gigazine said EA's acquisition by a Saudi Arabian investment fund was completed on 4 August 2026. Automaton said the buyer was a consortium of the Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, and that the deal left EA with heavy debt. It said some had expected staff cuts as a result, and that the closure recalls those concerns. It said the closure has caused a stir among industry figures and the gaming community. [ 1 , 3 ]