A trailer for the canceled Mass Effect 5 was reportedly finished prior to Electronic Arts shutting down BioWare and discontinuing the project. This claim comes from an alleged EA employee who posted on the subreddit for Austin, Texas, noting that they had seen the trailer a few months prior and questioned the studio's stated development stage. IGN has independently confirmed that a trailer for Mass Effect 5 was indeed ready for release.
This statement follows EA's official memo regarding the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5. In the memo, Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO, stated that the company had made the decision not to proceed with the game's development, leading to the studio's closure and the discontinuation of the Edmonton workspace. They described the game as being in "early development."
The assertion of "early development" has drawn surprise from some fans, particularly since the next installment in the Mass Effect series was first announced at The Game Awards in December 2020, at which point BioWare stated it was in "early production."
According to Bloomberg, approximately 50 staff members were working on Mass Effect 5 at the time of BioWare's closure. This move by EA comes in the wake of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's sales failing to meet expectations in 2024. The studio closure is part of broader layoffs at EA, which will reportedly result in 400 job losses, representing about 3% of the company's total workforce. BioWare's Austin studio is said to remain operational, supporting other EA development projects.
The cessation of Mass Effect and the closure of BioWare occur shortly before the annual N7 Day on November 7. In previous years, BioWare executives, such as executive producer Mike Gamble, had expressed excitement about the next Mass Effect game's development and BioWare's continued commitment to the universe, including the Amazon TV series adaptation.
Following the news, several individuals who worked on Mass Effect 5 have spoken out. Writer Catherynne M. Valente commented on social media that "We did figure it out. We were working on a great game," while cinematic supervisor Tony de Waal described the project as potentially offering "a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match." De Waal also mentioned that the team was inspired by titles from Larian Studios and CD Projekt Red, aiming to elevate the Mass Effect series while honoring its origins. He expressed sadness over the unreleased game and the talented developers who were dedicated to its creation.