Electronic Arts has announced it will close its storied role-playing game studio BioWare, alongside a broader round of job cuts affecting approximately 400 employees, about three percent of its total staff. The publisher has also canceled the in-development next installment of the Mass Effect series.
In a letter to staff, EA's COO David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber stated the company has taken a "hard look at our business" and will be cutting projects. "As we focus on these larger opportunities, we've had a small team at BioWare working on early-development for Mass Effect," the letter reads. "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."
Roughly 50 employees at BioWare are expected to be affected by the layoffs. While the next Mass Effect has been canceled, EA confirmed that development will continue on its sports titles, shooters such as Apex Legends, and Star Wars games, including the next Jedi title. The publisher also has a new Iron Man game in development and plans for more Battlefield titles, along with a new collaboration between Respawn and DICE. The Sims franchise will see development shifts, with a planned game put on hold, and the team working on Skate will be downsized.
EA was acquired earlier this year by a consortium of investor groups, including Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, transitioning the company to private ownership. At the time of the acquisition, EA chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson expressed enthusiasm for the future, stating the company would "invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games."
A statement released by BioWare on social media acknowledged the closure, listing its most significant contributions to the RPG genre: Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Anthem. The studio's current focus is on supporting its employees through the transition. "What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember," the statement read. "These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own."
BioWare has long been recognized for its narrative-driven RPGs emphasizing player choice and character development. The studio's legacy spans from early Dungeons & Dragons-inspired titles to landmark console RPGs like KOTOR, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. However, the studio's recent history has been marked by challenges, including the critical reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. Dragon Age: The Veilguard, its most recent title, received a generally better critical response but underwent a lengthy and tumultuous development cycle of ten years, with internal struggles frequently reported. The term "BioWare magic," once used to describe the studio's ability to coalesce its ambitious projects in the final stages of development, had become a point of contention in later years. Despite these difficulties, BioWare's impact on the RPG genre remains undeniable, with the influence of Mass Effect and Dragon Age continuing to be felt in contemporary game design. The closure of BioWare marks another somber moment in a period of widespread layoffs across the industry. For many in the gaming community and within the industry, the news represents the end of an era for a studio that shaped the careers and gaming experiences of countless individuals.