TLDR
Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and has stopped work on the next Mass Effect game. EA is cutting about 400 jobs, including roughly 50 at BioWare, Bloomberg reported.
Studio to close
Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and has stopped early development of the next Mass Effect game.[1]
"We've made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we're closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace," EA told employees on 21 October.[1] "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly."[1]
EA said only a small team at BioWare had been working on the game.[1]
About 400 jobs cut
EA will cut around 400 jobs, about 3 per cent of its staff, including roughly 50 at BioWare, Bloomberg reported.[2]
EA also paused "Project Lotus", a Sims project, to focus on "Project Evergreen". It is reshaping the team behind skate. into a smaller studio.[1] EA said it would help affected staff look for other roles within the company.[1]
Three decades of role-playing games
BioWare was founded in Canada in 1995 and bought by EA in 2007.[3] Its games include Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.[3]
Its two most recent major releases, 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda and 2024's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, received mixed reviews.[3]
New owners
The closure follows EA's sale to a group made up of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The deal, valued at about US$55 billion, was completed on 4 August.[4]
A trailer for a game titled "Mass Effect: Universe" leaked online after the closure was announced, The Verge reported.[5]
KEY TAKEAWAYS
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
