Entertainment · Gaming · 7 hrs ago
EA closes BioWare and halts development of the next Mass Effect
Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the Canadian game studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
Founded in 1995, BioWare became known for role-playing games that let players shape stories through their choices.
Its best-known series also include Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
The closure follows disappointing sales for recent games, including Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Development of the next Mass Effect game has stopped, according to BioWare’s statement.
The closure will cost jobs, though accounts give different figures for how many people remained at the studio and how many jobs are affected.
EA says it will make fewer large action-adventure games at once to reduce development costs, while new Star Wars and Iron Man games are still planned.
Electronic Arts shut down BioWare as part of a company-wide restructuring, and the studio’s remaining employees were laid off.
EA said it had decided not to pursue development of a new Mass Effect game.
The cuts were part of around 400 job losses at EA.
Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah said EA owns the studio’s intellectual property and might consider selling some of it.
BioWare developed role-playing game series including Mass Effect and Dragon Age during its 30 years of operation.
- Who
- Electronic Arts shut down BioWare and laid off its remaining employees.
- What
- The studio was closed, and EA decided not to pursue development of a new Mass Effect game.
- When
- Wednesday, according to Polygon; the articles were published on October 22, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- EA cited company-wide restructuring plans. GameSpot said the move followed EA’s decision not to pursue a new Mass Effect.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
BioWare was subject to layoffs, according to Polygon.
EA shut down BioWare and laid off its remaining employees as part of around 400 job cuts.
GameSpot reported that former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah said EA could consider selling some of the studio’s intellectual property.
- Studio
- BioWare
- Owner
- Electronic Arts
- Closure
- Wednesday
- Company-wide job cuts
- Around 400
- Studio history
- 30 years of operation
- Franchises
- Mass Effect and Dragon Age
7 sources
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EA is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, after more than 30 years
What people are saying
EA owns all the IP. They own Dragon Age, they own Mass Effect, they own Jade Empire.
At its height, no other studio in the world did it better, and its influence on the gaming world is undeniable.
Posts on X
This is sad news on multiple fronts - for those of us who worked there, for our friends and colleagues at BioWare who are impacted, and for fans who were looking forward to the next Mass Effect adventure. I started my career at BioWare and will forever be grateful to the
This is not something I ever expected to see. Larian and Bioware started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time and Bioware led the way in making RPGs big. It's almost unimaginable that we're now entering an era were the name Bioware won't show up anymore