BioWare shuts down after 30 years, next Mass Effect canceled

BioWare announced its closure on October 21, 2026 via its official account, with this message: "BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending," followed by a somber line: "There is nothing easy about writing those words." The studio, founded in 1995 and behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, is shutting down after more than 30 years, having been acquired by EA in 2007.

The next Mass Effect, announced in 2020, will never come out

The new entry in the Mass Effect saga, whose development was confirmed at The Game Awards 2020, is canceled while still in early development. EA gave no details on its content or how far along the project actually was at the time of cancellation.

Roughly 400 jobs cut at EA, about 50 of them at BioWare

According to Bloomberg, which obtained an internal letter sent to staff by EA COO David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber, these cuts represent about 3% of EA's total workforce, roughly 400 people overall, with about 50 of those roles directly at BioWare. The letter says EA has "taken a hard look at our business" in recent months.

An acquisition by Saudi Arabia's PIF two months earlier

This announcement comes two months after EA's acquisition closed, led by a consortium headed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), in a $55 billion leveraged buyout. The deal left EA with roughly $18 billion in debt and nearly $1.8 billion in annual interest payments. Earlier this year, EA had already told debt investors it planned to cut $700 million in annual costs following the deal's close, including $170 million through "organizational efficiencies."

EA's stated priorities going forward

Per the same internal letter, EA plans to focus its investments on its sports titles, Apex Legends, Battlefield, as well as new Star Wars Jedi games and a Marvel Iron Man game. Nothing has been said so far about the fate of BioWare's other franchises: the future of Dragon Age (whose latest entry, The Veilguard, released in 2024 to fairly positive reviews) and of existing Mass Effect games remains unclear.

A still-developing story

As of this article's publication, several outlets (Video Games Chronicle, Kotaku, Dexerto) still describe this as a "developing story": EA hasn't publicly detailed what will happen to existing games' servers or to the remaining teams.

Sources

• Video Games Chronicle: EA is closing BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Effect
• Insider Gaming: BioWare Announces its Next Mass Effect is Canceled as Studio Closes Down
• Dexerto: EA shuts down BioWare and cancels next Mass Effect game amid 400 layoffs

The bottom line

After more than 30 years, BioWare is closing for good and the next Mass Effect, in development since 2020, is canceled, as part of roughly 400 job cuts at EA. The decision comes two months after EA's acquisition by Saudi Arabia's PIF, which is redirecting its investments toward sports, Apex Legends, Battlefield, and new Star Wars and Marvel games. The future of Dragon Age and existing Mass Effect games remains uncertain for now.