Former writers for the now-canceled Mass Effect 5 have begun speaking out on social media following Electronic Arts' decision to shutter BioWare. EA announced the closure of the studio, a long-standing developer with over 30 years of history, on October 21, 2026. The news was included as a brief statement within a longer company letter.
"We've made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we’re closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace," the statement read. "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly."
Catherynne M. Valente, a New York Times bestselling author and former writer for the project, responded to public sentiment online. "We did figure it out. We were working on a great game. Just saying," Valente stated on Twitter/X, clarifying that her contributions were specifically to the canceled Mass Effect 5 and not to other BioWare titles like Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Mass Effect: Andromeda, or Anthem.
Award-winning science fiction writer Derek Künsken also shared his experience in a lengthy thread. Künsken, who had contributed to Mass Effect 5 "on and off" for the past five years, noted that he was only recently permitted to discuss his involvement now that the studio has been closed. "Over the coming weeks, I'll get more clarity on what I can say about what I did and saw and learned. I hope it's more than nothing — what we were cooking was really cool," he wrote. Künsken further revealed that he had collaborated with Valente on "story, character, lore, and sci-fi wonder for this next chapter of the Mass Effect world," describing the collaboration as "the most energizing, in-the-zone collaboration I've ever had."
Fans are left to speculate about the unreleased game, with some hoping EA might sell the intellectual property rights to another studio. Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah has expressed caution regarding this possibility but suggested it may be more likely now, given EA's recent $55 billion acquisition by a private investment group, which may necessitate offsetting debt. In related news, the Mass Effect Prime Video series remains in active development.