Electronic Arts has confirmed it is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Early development on a new Mass Effect game has also been halted. The closure is part of a round of cuts affecting about 400 workers, with roughly 50 coming from BioWare itself.
BioWare's recent track record had been rocky. Mass Effect: Andromeda disappointed in 2017, Anthem's live-service bet failed in 2019, and the studio faced layoffs in 2025 after Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations. The shutdown follows EA being taken private in August by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in a $55 billion deal.
EA says it is shifting focus to other projects, including a collaboration between Respawn and DICE on what Bloomberg reports is likely a new Star Wars: Battlefront, as well as Marvel's Iron Man and a new Star Wars Jedi title. The company is also pausing work on The Sims project 'Lotus' and changing direction on Skate. The fate of Amazon's Mass Effect TV series remains unclear, with EA declining to comment.