EA Shuts Down BioWare as Part of a 400-Job Restructuring

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, as part of a wider round of layoffs. The publisher will cut around 400 jobs, which is about 3% of its global workforce. Roughly 50 of those roles are at BioWare.

The news comes less than three months after EA went private. Here is what we know so far.

What Did EA Announce?

On October 21, an internal letter was sent to staff, authored by Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber.

The letter confirmed that several projects would be cut. The biggest casualty is the next Mass Effect game, which was in early development at BioWare. BioWare’s Edmonton office in Canada will also close.

The Sims franchise takes a hit too. EA is cancelling a planned game codenamed Project Lotus. It will now prioritize a different project, known as Project Evergreen. Skate will continue, although the team behind it will be downsized.

How Did BioWare Say Goodbye?

The studio confirmed the news in a statement on social media.

“For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life,” the statement read.

It also named some of its best-known games: Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Anthem. “There is nothing easy about writing those words,” BioWare added. The studio said its focus is now on supporting its talented team through this transition.

BioWare was founded in 1995 and acquired by EA in 2007. In its early years under EA, it delivered a string of hit role-playing games. That reputation was built mainly on Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

The studio struggled in recent years. Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem both drew criticism from players and reviewers. Its final game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, arrived in 2024 and missed sales expectations. As per Bloomberg, that miss led EA to gut the studio last year.

The financial backdrop matters as well. EA’s $55 billion buyout was completed in August. It was led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. The deal added around $18 billion in debt to the company’s books. Earlier this year, EA told investors it had identified savings of up to $700 million, partly through cuts to research and development spending.

Which Projects Are Still Going Ahead?

Not everything is being cut. EA says it will keep investing in Apex Legends, Battlefield and its sports games such as EA FC and Madden. The next Star Wars Jedi title is still in the works. So is a new Iron Man game.

There is one more interesting detail. Respawn and DICE will team up on a new project. Both Variety and Bloomberg point to another Star Wars: Battlefront entry, which would be the long-awaited Battlefront 3. EA has not confirmed that, though. “We can’t wait to share more when the time comes,” the company said.

“Across our portfolio, we’re making deliberate choices to align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth,” the executives wrote.

The sports side is also getting fresh attention. EA is developing a social-first, open-world American football experience called Project Gridiron. It is also in pre-production on a new Fight Night game. Details on both are expected over the coming months.