BioWare, the legendary video game studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is undergoing a major restructuring that will eliminate about 400 jobs across the company. The closure effectively ends early development on the next Mass Effect game, a major blow for fans of the science-fiction role-playing series.
BioWare confirmed the closure in a statement on October 21, saying the studio had spent more than three decades building worlds that players connected with through storytelling, memorable characters and choices that influenced their adventures. Bloomberg says about 50 of the reported 400 job cuts will hit BioWare staff.
EA executives David Tinson and Cam Weber said the company had looked at its business over several months and made the decision to wind down some projects. As part of the decision, work on the next Mass Effect title is canceled – still in early development. EA will also be closing BioWare’s Edmonton office.
The studio’s closure comes after years of trouble, including the poor commercial performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The studio already saw big cuts last year, and the game, which was released in 2024, did not meet EA’s sales expectations, Bloomberg reported.
EA Is Shifting Its Focus to Other Major Franchises
BioWare’s shutdown is part of a broader reorganization affecting a number of EA projects. The publisher says it will keep investing in Apex Legends and the next Star Wars Jedi game and its upcoming Marvel’s Iron Man game. EA also says it will continue to develop new Battlefield titles, with its Respawn and DICE studios collaborating on another game.
The company is also revisiting its plans for The Sims. EA is putting Project Lotus development on hold as the company invests in Project Evergreen, and the skateboarding game Skate will be cut as the publisher moves to a clearer development roadmap.
This timing is notable because EA went private in August 2026 in a $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and also including Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The deal reportedly left EA with around $18 billion in debt, adding to financial pressure as the company tries to cut costs.
The shutdown caps a 31-year run for BioWare that produced such influential role-playing games as Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Its closure means fans will not get to see the next Mass Effect, which was in early development, bringing to an end one of the most famous RPG studios in gaming.
