EA closes BioWare and cancels the next Mass Effect game

Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare and ending development of the studio’s next Mass Effect game. The closure is part of a wider restructuring at EA that is reportedly eliminating around 400 jobs across the company.

BioWare confirmed the decision on October 21, bringing an end to more than 30 years of development at the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

EA said only a small team was working on the next Mass Effect when the project was cancelled. The game was announced in 2020 but never received an official title, release date or full gameplay reveal.

EA executives told employees the publisher had decided not to continue development as it concentrates resources on fewer projects. BioWare’s Edmonton operation is also closing, ending the studio’s presence in the Canadian city where it was founded in 1995.

BioWare’s final release was Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024. The studio had already undergone workforce reductions and internal changes following that launch.

Approximately 400 jobs are being eliminated across EA, representing roughly 3% of its workforce. Around 50 of those positions are reportedly connected to BioWare.

Other parts of EA are also being restructured. Development on a new The Sims project known internally as Project Lotus has reportedly ended, while the team working on skate. is being reduced.

EA is still investing heavily in several major franchises. Apex Legends, future Battlefield projects, EA Sports titles, Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi remain part of its current development plans.

BioWare’s shutdown comes months after EA was acquired by a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners in a deal valued at around $55 billion.

The acquisition was completed in August after first being announced in September 2025. EA has not said the new ownership group directly ordered BioWare’s closure, instead presenting the decision as part of its strategy to concentrate investment on fewer large projects.

BioWare’s closure does not mean the Mass Effect or Dragon Age properties are disappearing entirely. EA retains ownership of both franchises and could assign them to other studios in the future.

What is confirmed is that the Mass Effect project announced in 2020 is no longer moving forward. With BioWare closing as well, neither franchise currently has a newly announced game in active development.