EA Shuts Down BioWare After 31 Years, Cancels Next Mass Effect
Electronic Arts has confirmed it is closing BioWare — the legendary Edmonton studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — and cancelling the next Mass Effect game, ending a 31-year run in the gaming industry.
The announcement, first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by EA on Wednesday, is part of a wider restructuring that cuts about 400 jobs across the company, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, with around 50 positions at BioWare. EA's Edmonton workspace will also close.
EA chief studios officer Cam Weber and COO David Tinson said in a memo that the next Mass Effect was still in early development with a small team, and the company had decided not to move forward with it. Resources will instead be redirected toward Battlefield, Apex Legends and EA SPORTS titles.
BioWare shared its own farewell, saying that "after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending." The closure comes months after EA went private in a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which saddled the publisher with $18 billion in debt — and raises questions about Amazon's planned Mass Effect TV adaptation for Prime Video.
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