EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels 50-Person Mass Effect Project

EA is closing BioWare – the Canadian RPG developer that created some of the most iconic games of all time. It's the end of an era that has lasted decades. It's also leaving fans in a bit of a limbo when it comes to the next installments of their flagship games. And it's a big indicator of a change of approach for EA after their huge $55 billion buyout (which left them with about $18 billion in debt).

BioWare closure halts new Mass Effect game and leaves Dragon Age future uncertain

BioWare has been defined by their rich story choices and iconic characters. Their best commercial title since the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014 was their work. They are best known for their Mass Effect and Dragon Age titles. But their recent releases like Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard didn't live up to EA's commercial or critical ratings – leaving them to take a step back and reevaluate.

They are closing the doors to the Canadian studio, which is putting a stop to a new Mass Effect game that was being developed by a 50 person team. They are also laying off another 350 people at other EA studios. It's all part of the restructing taking place as a result of their huge financial purchase. The closure is effectively stopping development on some of the other titles that were in the pipeline for BioWare that we don't yet know about.

What happens to the IP for Dragon Age and Mass Effect? There's been no word on whether they'll look to sell or license those properties to other developers. And fans will now wonder if those beloved games will go on to be developed under new hands, or fall to the wayside. They shared a message on their X account, thanking players for being there with them through this process.

In a statement, BioWare acknowledged the difficulty of this news. They shared that they're proud of the talent at the studio. They also recognized the history they have with their players.

The games were bigger and more important because you discussed the choices, and loved the characters. An era is coming to a close for one of the studios that defined a generation of RPGs.