EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels the Next Mass Effect Game

Electronic Arts has officially shut down BioWare, the legendary studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and Knights of the Old Republic. Early development on the next Mass Effect game has also been canceled. In an internal letter, the publisher announced layoffs affecting around 400 employees, roughly 50 of whom worked at BioWare.BioWare said goodbye to players in a separate post on X, describing itself as a home for storytellers, developers, and players who brought its worlds to life. According to Bloomberg, most of the studio's employees will be laid off, with only a small number moving to other EA teams. The publisher will redirect the freed-up resources toward Apex Legends, Battlefield, and new Star Wars projects.The studio's history shows how even great teams can slowly fade under a corporate umbrella. BioWare was founded in Edmonton in 1995, and EA acquired it for $860 million in 2007, with the first Mass Effect already on shelves. What followed was a long decline marked by the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3, the departures of the studio's founders, EA's forced transition of internal teams to the Frostbite engine, the cancellation of Anthem in 2021, and the mixed reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. In January 2025, the studio had already been hit by major layoffs, leaving it with just one project.