EA Shuts Down BioWare After 30 Years and Cancels the Next Mass Effect
The studio behind Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age announced its closure on October 21. Bloomberg reports EA is cutting 400 jobs as part of a broader restructuring.
One of the most important studios in PC role-playing game history is closing. BioWare, the developer behind Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, announced on October 21 that it is shutting down after 30 years. In the same statement, the studio confirmed that its new Mass Effect game has been canceled.
What happened
BioWare shared the news in a post on social media, as reported by Game Developer. "There is nothing easy about writing those words," the statement read. "Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition."
Electronic Arts, which acquired BioWare in 2007, also commented. "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly," the publisher said, according to ABC News.
A wider restructuring at EA
According to a Bloomberg report cited by Game Developer, EA is laying off 400 employees, including around 50 people at BioWare who were working on the next Mass Effect. Bloomberg also reported that:
- A Sims project code-named Project Lotus has been canceled, while another project, Project Evergreen, is being prioritized.
- Resources are being diverted away from skate., though the game remains in active development.
- Respawn and DICE are expected to collaborate on a new game that is "likely" another Star Wars Battlefront.
In a letter to staff quoted by Game Developer, EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber said the decisions followed a "hard look at the business," adding: "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 cuts come months after an investor group including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners bought EA in a $55 billion deal.
BioWare's PC legacy
Founded in 1995 by Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip in Edmonton, Canada, BioWare made its name on PC. Its first game was the 1997 mech simulator Shattered Steel, followed in 1998 by Baldur's Gate, which helped define the computer RPG for a generation. Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect (2007) and Dragon Age: Origins (2009) followed.
The last decade was harder. Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem struggled, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrived in 2024 after a long development that shifted between single-player and live-service plans. Star Wars: The Old Republic is now operated by Broadsword rather than BioWare.
Why it matters
For PC players, BioWare's closure marks the end of a studio whose games shaped modern RPG design – including, indirectly, Baldur's Gate 3, which continued a series BioWare started. The cancellation of the next Mass Effect also leaves one of gaming's most beloved sci-fi series without a clear future.
