EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels the Next Mass Effect: What Happened and What Survives

After 30 years, EA is closing BioWare and ending work on the next Mass Effect. Here's what was confirmed, what else got cut, and what still lives on.

BioWare is gone. On Wednesday, October 21, Electronic Arts confirmed it is closing the Edmonton studio behind Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age – and with it, the next Mass Effect game. It is the first big shake-up at EA since the publisher was taken private, and it lands only two months after that $55 billion deal closed.

For a studio that defined what a story-driven RPG could be for an entire generation, it's an abrupt ending. Here's what has been confirmed, what has only been reported, and what is still alive.

What EA and BioWare confirmed

The closure was announced by BioWare itself in a social media post, alongside a wider update from EA titled "Building EA's next chapter." BioWare's statement confirmed that the studio is closing after more than 30 years and that early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending. It said the team's focus now is on supporting one another through the transition.

EA called BioWare a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre and said it did not take the decision lightly. A letter to staff from chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber described the moves as the result of a hard look at the business over several months, arguing that saying no to some projects lets EA focus its teams and resources.

How many jobs are affected

The numbers come from Bloomberg's reporting rather than an official EA figure: around 400 jobs are being cut across the company. That total is not all BioWare – staff at Ripple Effect (Battlefield), Maxis (The Sims) and Full Circle (Skate) are also reported to be affected. According to Game Developer, about 50 of the people laid off were at BioWare working on the new Mass Effect, a sign of how far the studio had already shrunk after earlier rounds of cuts in 2025.

EA says some affected employees may be offered other roles inside the company.

The next Mass Effect is dead

The game often called Mass Effect 5 was first teased at The Game Awards in 2020, with more cryptic teasers in the years after, and was widely expected to tie back into the original trilogy. Very little was ever shown, though. In early 2025, BioWare said a small core team led by Michael Gamble was working on it, and BioWare's own closure statement still described it as being in early development.

Gamble, who spent 17 years at the studio, thanked fans on social media after the news broke, offered to vouch for former colleagues looking for new jobs, and joked that he at least won't need to call in sick when GTA 6 comes out.

Why it happened

BioWare's last decade was rough. Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) landed far below the original trilogy's reputation, Anthem (2019) never recovered from its launch and had its servers switched off earlier this year, and EA said Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024) underperformed.

The bigger backdrop is money. A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, together with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, bought EA in a $55 billion leveraged buyout that was finalized in August. Reports put the debt EA took on at around $18 billion, and analysts had expected cost cuts to follow. EA's own messaging now points toward fewer, bigger projects – with shooters and sports at the center.

Everything else EA announced

The BioWare news came packaged with a broader reshuffle:

• The Sims: A new Sims project codenamed Project Lotus is not going ahead. Project Evergreen, another Sims project, becomes the priority.
• Skate: The game stays online, but EA is moving to a smaller, more focused team.
• Battlefield: EA called Battlefield 6 a great success and says more Battlefield games are planned.
• Respawn and DICE: The two studios are working together on an unannounced project. Multiple outlets report it is likely a new Star Wars: Battlefront, but EA hasn't named it.
• Apex Legends: EA says it will keep investing in new modes and experiences.
• Marvel and Star Wars: Iron Man is still in development, and the next Star Wars Jedi game is still planned.
• EA Sports: Two new projects were highlighted – an open-world, social-first football game called Project Gridiron, and the return of Fight Night.

What survives: the Mass Effect TV series

There is one piece of good news for fans. According to IGN's sources, as reported by VGC and Insider Gaming, Amazon's live-action Mass Effect series is still in development at Prime Video with its creative team still attached. The show was reported as officially in development in late 2024 and is set after the original trilogy. Gamble was listed as one of its executive producers. There is no release window.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is also unaffected by the closure in practical terms: the MMO left BioWare's hands in 2023 and is run by Broadsword.

What happens to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands long term is an open question. EA still owns both, and one former BioWare executive has floated the idea that the license could be sold – but that is speculation, and EA has said nothing about it.

Why it matters

BioWare's influence is hard to overstate. Branching dialogue, party companions you actually care about, and choices that carry from one game to the next all became standard RPG ingredients because BioWare made them popular. Many of the developers who built those games left years ago, but the name still meant something.

Its closure is also a clear signal of where the new EA is heading: away from expensive, slow-burning single-player RPGs and toward proven franchises such as Battlefield, Apex Legends and EA Sports. For players, the practical outcome is simple – there is no new Mass Effect coming from EA anytime soon, and the next time Commander Shepard's universe shows up, it will probably be on a TV screen rather than a controller.

This article was written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games are updated regularly, so details may change.