EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels Next Mass Effect

Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and laying off roughly 400 employees, about 3 percent of its workforce, according to Bloomberg and Variety. The publisher said Wednesday that it will close BioWare's Edmonton, Alberta office and cancel the next Mass Effect game, which had been in early development. EA said it will help affected workers explore other roles within the company.

EA purchased BioWare in 2007, but the studio had struggled recently as Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of sales targets. In a memo, Cam Weber and David Tinson, EA's co-presidents, wrote, "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly." In its own statement, the BioWare team said that after more than three decades, "BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending."

The layoffs include reductions at Full Circle, the studio making Skate. EA said Skate has had "a lot of success" since its early access launch last September, but the company is moving to a smaller, more focused team. At Maxis, development of Project Lotus is paused to put resources into Project Evergreen.

EA also previewed other plans: a new shooter is in the works from Respawn and Dice, which Variety's sources say is Star Wars: Battlefront 3. EA Sports will revive Fight Night, and its football team is working on a "brand-new, social-first open-world experience." More details are expected in the coming months.

The closure prompted an outpouring from the game industry. BioWare helped popularize choice-driven RPGs, and developers reflected on its influence. Satoru Homma of CD Projekt Red said, "BioWare is a company that changed my life. Without BioWare, Edgerunners might not have existed."

Update, October 22, 2026

Polygon's retrospective adds details about BioWare's history and the canceled Mass Effect project. Before Mass Effect and Dragon Age, the studio developed Baldur's Gate and its sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire. Dragon Age: Inquisition won Game of the Year at The Game Awards in 2014. BioWare released Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017, followed by Anthem, a live-service loot shooter. Dragon Age: The Veilguard was well received by critics and players but fell short of EA's sales expectations and was largely snubbed at that year's Game Awards. The next Mass Effect was announced in 2020 and remained in early development, according to Bloomberg. Developers who worked on it described it as ambitious, and a leaked trailer called it Mass Effect Universe, an espionage-style thriller. Jennifer Hale, who voiced FemShep, told Polygon the games made many people feel represented and said she would have returned as Shepard if asked. Polygon also notes BioWare faced layoffs in 2025 and that last year it was announced private investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, would purchase EA; analysts then warned EA might sell off underperforming studios.

Update, October 22, 2026

Polygon reports the leaked Mass Effect Universe trailer included a male Quarian alongside Liara T'Soni and a Krogan, and the helmeted alien could have been the series' first-ever male Quarian star. An old internal BioWare document for Mass Effect 2 concepts listed two unused male Quarian characters: one bloodthirsty and whimsical, eager to kill Geth, and a rogue who sought proof it was safe to return to the Quarian homeworld, with advanced tech skills, charm, and a tendency toward disaster. Fans on the Mass Effect subreddit reacted strongly to the Quarian; one popular thread declared, "We'd have all married him." Viewers also noted the Asari designs undo facial changes from Mass Effect: Andromeda and look more human, and the Krogan's presence raised lore questions about whether the genophage was cured or the character is one of the last Krogan.

Update, October 23, 2026

Notebookcheck reports that the restructuring follows the completion of EA’s buyout. Jason Schreier told the outlet that the next Mass Effect had no release date and only about 50 people working on it when canceled. After Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed EA’s sales targets, the studio was gutted, leaving about 100 people, then just 50 remained on Mass Effect before EA shut BioWare down. An internal letter from EA management to staff, read by Schreier, says the company is closing the Edmonton studio and will “not be moving forward” with development of Mass Effect. Schreier also points out that EA has not revealed whether it attempted to sell BioWare or its franchises to another publisher.

Update, October 23, 2026

Polygon reported that Canadian New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis proposed federal support for a BioWare employee buyout after EA's shutdown. In an X post, Lewis said private equity "buys up businesses, runs them into the ground, and rips them apart for short-term profit" and argued developers should have the first chance and federal support to buy the studio and run it themselves. Polygon noted Lewis's party lacks enough House of Commons seats to act alone. Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski also wrote on X that the closure of "Alberta's most prominent video game developer is disappointing" and that government will work with partners to support talent. Political commentator Christo Aivalis compared the proposal to Canada's direct government involvement in film. Polygon also cited earlier cuts: BioWare Montreal was closed after Mass Effect: Andromeda missed sales targets, and 20% of staff were cut in 2023.

Update, October 24, 2026

Polygon reported on October 24 that Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, the original voice actors for Commander Shepard, have joined a fan campaign to save Mass Effect after the project's cancellation. A petition has gathered 130,000 signatures within three days. Hale wrote on X asking fans to help "bring Mass Effect back to life" and described a vision in which fans create a Kickstarter, investors and a game company join, and a collective forms to revive the series "for the community, for the creative, for all of us." Meer quote-tweeted Hale, saying "Hold the line. I should go, and you should go sign that petition." Polygon describes the community campaign as large-scale and notes it has drawn high-profile support.

Update, October 25, 2026

Polygon's analysis published Oct. 25 says EA CEO Andrew Wilson pursued Apple, Amazon, Disney, and Comcast as potential buyers before the publisher was sold to Saudi Arabia. It also reports that the next Xbox is expected to cost between $1,200 and $1,800, and that PlayStation 6 will be a little cheaper but likely still in four figures. Polygon attributes the high prices partly to rising component costs and says both consoles will increase game development costs compared with current hardware while delivering smaller visual gains. The piece argues that audience growth has plateaued and too many costly games are being made, calling BioWare's closure part of a broader industry contraction.