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EA closes BioWare and cancels next Mass Effect; about 400 EA jobs reported cut
En breve
Electronic Arts is closing the BioWare studio and ending development of the next Mass Effect game, Korean outlets reported on 22 October. Bloomberg, cited by Yonhap, said EA will cut about 400 jobs, around 3% of staff, including about 50 at BioWare.
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Electronic Arts is closing the BioWare studio and ending early development of the next Mass Effect game. Inven reported that EA said so in a joint letter to staff, sent on the 21st local time by Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president, saying the studio and its Edmonton office will close. They described BioWare as a legendary studio that helped define the RPG genre and said the decision was not taken lightly. Gamemeca says EA announced its restructuring plan on its website on 22 October after telling employees. [ 1 , 4 ]
Yonhap, citing Bloomberg and insiders, reported that EA will let about 400 people go, around 3% of its workforce, including about 50 BioWare staff. ZDNet Korea, citing GameSpot, said about 50 BioWare employees are being laid off, and said foreign media put the total at about 400, including roughly 350 outside BioWare. Inven and Gamemeca note that EA itself gave no figure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
BioWare posted a farewell on its official X account. According to Inven it said that after more than 30 years of adventure, BioWare is closing and ending early development of the next Mass Effect project. ZDNet Korea quoted the studio as saying it is now focused on looking after its talented teams and supporting each other through the change. [ 1 , 3 ]
According to Gamemeca, EA said it would concentrate on a few projects rather than many large ones at once. It named Iron Man and Star Wars Jedi as action-adventure titles in preparation, a new shooter from Respawn and DICE, and continued investment in Apex Legends, Battlefield and EA Sports FC. The report said Project Lotus, an unannounced Sims title, would be halted while Project Evergreen becomes the priority, and the Skate team would shrink. Yonhap, citing Bloomberg, instead said a Sims game in development was cancelled. [ 2 , 4 ]
The closure came two months after EA went private. Inven said a consortium including Saudi Arabia's PIF and Silver Lake bought EA for $55 billion in August, that EA took on about $18 billion in debt and that it had announced annual cost savings of $700 million. Gamemeca quoted EA as saying it is the leading Western publisher but that its industry is changing quickly and it has reviewed its business over recent months. [ 1 , 4 ]
BioWare was founded in Canada in 1995 and made Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Yonhap dates its purchase by EA to 2007 and ZDNet Korea to 2008. Inven and Gamemeca say Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) was poorly received, and Inven says Anthem (2019) failed commercially. Yonhap says Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), the studio's last game, sold poorly after criticism from players. Inven said it drew about 1.5 million players a quarter, below EA's expectations. Mihau Nowakowski (미하우 노바코프스키), CEO of CD Projekt Red, wrote on X that he was sad to see the brand fall. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Inven said EA still owns the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands, and that selling them or handing them to outside developers has been raised as a possibility. It added that nothing has been disclosed about the Amazon Mass Effect TV series or existing games. [ 1 ]
Por qué importa
The closure ends a studio the outlets describe as a long-standing name in Western role-playing games. The reports tie it to a portfolio review at EA after its August move to private ownership, and say the future of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands is not yet known.
Datos clave
- EA is closing the BioWare studio and the early-stage next Mass Effect project has been cancelled. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Inven reported that EA's joint letter to staff, sent by Cam Weber and David Tinson, said the BioWare studio and its Edmonton office will close. [ 1 ]
- Bloomberg, as relayed by Yonhap, reported EA will cut about 400 jobs, around 3% of its workforce. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- About 50 of the affected jobs are at BioWare. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- EA was acquired in August by a consortium for $55 billion and became a private company, according to Inven and Gamemeca. [ 1 , 4 ]
- EA plans to continue development of Apex Legends, Battlefield and Star Wars Jedi. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- BioWare was founded in Canada in 1995 and made Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- BioWare is being closed by EA and the next Mass Effect game, in early development, is cancelled. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- About 50 BioWare employees are affected, as part of a company-wide reduction of about 400 jobs. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- EA became a private company in August after being acquired by a consortium involving Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- EA plans to continue development of Apex Legends, Battlefield and Star Wars Jedi. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- The number of jobs cut. Inven and Gamemeca say EA's own announcement did not give a figure; the 400 (about 3%) comes from Bloomberg's sources as relayed by Yonhap, ZDNet Korea and Gamemeca.
- The fate of The Sims projects. Yonhap, citing Bloomberg, says a new Sims game in development was cancelled; Gamemeca says Project Evergreen is the Sims priority and the unannounced Project Lotus is halted.
- What happens to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands, the Amazon Mass Effect TV series and existing games. Inven says EA still owns both brands and that speculation includes selling them or handing them to outside developers, while nothing has been disclosed on the series or existing games.
- When BioWare was acquired by EA. Yonhap gives 2007; ZDNet Korea gives 2008.
- The date of EA's announcement. Inven says the letter went to staff on the 21st local time; Gamemeca says EA announced on 22 October, after telling employees first.