BioWare is shutting down and the next installment in the Mass Effect franchise has been canceled, Electronic Arts announced. The closure comes as part of broader layoffs affecting roughly 400 employees across EA, approximately 3% of its total workforce, with about 50 of those roles being at BioWare.
The studio's most recent projects, the live-service game Anthem and the troubled Dragon Age: The Veilguard, both underperformed commercially. While the Mass Effect series has seen mixed success, with Andromeda widely considered a disappointment, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition remaster was well-received by fans.
For years, BioWare had been teasing the next Mass Effect game, confirming it would be set hundreds of years after Mass Effect 3 and would recenter the narrative on the original Milky Way setting following the defeat of the Reapers. This future for the franchise will now not be explored by the studio.
The closure also raises questions about Amazon's upcoming live-action Mass Effect series, which was also intended to be set after the events of Mass Effect 3 and tell a new story.
EA plans to focus on its core franchises and strategic priorities: "Deepen Our Core;" "Expand Our Reach;" and "Transform Our Business." The company will continue to invest in titles such as Apex Legends, the Star Wars Jedi series, Marvel's Iron Man, and the Battlefield franchise. Future Battlefield games are planned, along with a rumored Star Wars: Battlefront 3 collaboration between Respawn and DICE. EA Sports will continue its FC franchise, with new projects including a social-first open-world American football experience and the return of the Fight Night series. Development on The Sims projects will be adjusted, and the Skate team will be downsized to focus on a clear long-term roadmap.
In a memo to staff, EA leaders Cam Weber and David Tinson cited an evolving industry with increased competition and more player choices, necessitating a concentration of teams, technology, and investment on EA's most significant opportunities. "Saying no to some things we're passionate about allows us to focus our teams and resources so we give our biggest opportunities everything they need to succeed," they stated.