Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and ending development on the next Mass Effect game, bringing more than three decades of RPG history to a painful turning point. The studio behind Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic confirmed the news in a farewell statement thanking its developers and players.
The closure includes BioWare’s Edmonton office and comes amid wider EA layoffs reportedly affecting around 400 employees, roughly 3% of its workforce. Around 50 of those positions are reportedly at BioWare.
In brief:
- EA is closing BioWare, including its Edmonton workspace.
- Early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending.
- The wider EA layoffs reportedly affect approximately 400 employees.
- BioWare’s farewell message celebrates its games and prioritizes supporting its team through the transition.
EA Closes BioWare as It Reduces Its Development Portfolio
EA’s decision follows a review of its business and development priorities. In an internal announcement, executives Cam Weber and David Tinson explained that the publisher plans to focus its action-adventure efforts on fewer simultaneous, large-scale projects.
The executives acknowledged BioWare’s contribution to role-playing games and described the closure as a difficult decision. EA also said it would help affected employees explore other opportunities within the company.
The announcement closes the chapter on a studio whose games helped shape their expectations of companions, branching conversations, and choices with lasting consequences.
The Next Mass Effect Game Is Cancelled
BioWare’s statement directly confirms that work on its next Mass Effect project is ending:
“BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.”
So, that wording places the project in early development when EA decided to stop funding it. Fans waiting for the next adventure now face the cancellation of that project alongside the closure of its developer.
BioWare Thanks Fans After More Than 30 Years
BioWare’s farewell looks back across its history, naming Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Anthem.
Its message focuses on the people who built those worlds and the players who made them their own. It remembers fans debating decisions, connecting with characters, and carrying those experiences beyond the games themselves.
The studio says its immediate priority is supporting its team through the transition.
