Electronic Arts has outlined its strategic direction for the "next chapter" following the closure of BioWare, a move that signals a company-wide shift toward concentrating on its most prominent franchises. This new strategy involves reducing the number of projects and personnel, with a clear emphasis on shooters, sports titles, and key action-adventure series.
The company's plan details a focus on expanding its shooter offerings, including further installments in the Battlefield and Apex Legends franchises. To this end, EA intends to "bring together our Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project." In the realm of action-adventure, Marvel's Iron Man and the third Star Wars Jedi game are confirmed to be moving forward, though EA plans to "concentrate our efforts on fewer simultaneous, large-scale projects" beyond these.
EA Sports will see full commitment to the EA Sports FC series, alongside a new American football game codenamed "Project Gridiron" and the return of the Fight Night boxing franchise. The Sims series is set to continue, but "Project Lotus," a title previously believed to be a precursor to The Sims 5, has been paused. Additionally, the development team for Skate is being reduced as part of efforts to "build a healthier and more sustainable business."
In a statement addressing the BioWare closure, EA remarked, "As we focus on these larger opportunities, we've had a small team at BioWare working on early-development for Mass Effect. We've made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we’re closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace. BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly."
While the announcement does not directly reference the reported layoff of approximately 400 employees, it acknowledges that "some of the changes announced today are difficult, especially for the people and teams across the company who are directly affected." The missive is attributed to Cam Weber and David Tinson, who recently assumed top roles at EA, rather than CEO Andrew Wilson.
These strategic adjustments align with earlier reports suggesting significant cuts following EA's acquisition by Saudi Arabia and the associated debt. Speculation about a potential merger with Saudi-owned Savvy Games Group has also surfaced. This shift echoes predictions made by former BioWare lead writer Patrick Weekes, who anticipated a focus on "guns and football" titles under the new ownership, with other genres potentially facing reduced emphasis.