Key takeaways
- BioWare is closing and ending early development on the next Mass Effect game.
- EA will cut about 400 roles, including roughly 50 at BioWare.
- BioWare was founded in 1995 and acquired by EA in 2007.
BioWare announced on October 21, 2026 that it will close its Edmonton workspace and end early development on the next Mass Effect game (IGN Nordic). EA’s wider layoffs will remove about 400 roles, including roughly 50 at BioWare.
“Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.” — BioWare
Why is BioWare closing?\n
BioWare was founded in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1995 by doctors Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, and EA acquired the studio in 2007, according to Ars Technica. The catalogue includes Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Anthem. Kotaku reported repeated layoffs before and after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which EA said had failed to meet sales expectations.
Ars Technica reported that founders Muzyka and Zeschuk left in 2012. Longtime producer Mac Walters departed in 2023, while executive producer Casey Hudson left in 2014, returned in 2017 and departed again in 2020.
The company-wide reduction is broader than BioWare alone. EA executives said they were reviewing the business and making deliberate choices about where talent and investment would produce the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth.
Which projects were canceled, and which continue?\n
EA’s letter to staff was distributed by Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber, according to Push Square. It identified the next Mass Effect game as one of the affected projects, which had been in early development.
The studio’s statement said the decision not to move forward meant closing both the studio and its Edmonton workspace.
Push Square also reported that a new The Sims installment was canceled and that the team working on Skate was downsized. VGC said the next Mass Effect game had originally been announced in 2020, although little had been shown publicly since then. It also reported that EA downsized BioWare’s development team last year, with EA claiming the cuts were related to personnel who had shipped The Veilguard.
The continuing EA portfolio includes sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield, the third Star Wars Jedi game, Marvel’s Iron Man project and other Marvel and Star Wars games. Kotaku reported that The Sims project code-named Project Lotus was canceled so EA could focus on another project called Evergreen.
How does the buyout figure in the decision?\n
Kotaku reported that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund acquired EA with help from Affinity Partners in a $55 billion buyout. VGC said the leveraged transaction left the company with around $18 billion in debt and approximately $1.8 billion in annual interest payments.
Earlier in 2026, EA told debt investors that it would reduce $700 million in annual costs, including $170 million in organizational efficiencies. The job cuts represent roughly 3% of EA’s total workforce. Those figures provide financial context for the layoffs, although the sources do not establish that the buyout alone caused BioWare’s closure.
Push Square noted that it was not confirmed whether the purchase or EA’s new owners influenced the decision (Mashable). Ars reported that EA no longer has public stockholders after the private deal involving Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Affinity Partners.
| Key figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BioWare founding year | 1995 | Ars Technica |
| Year EA acquired BioWare | 2007 | Ars Technica |
| EA roles to be cut | About 400 | VGC |
| BioWare roles included | Roughly 50 | VGC |
| Share of EA’s total workforce | Roughly 3% | VGC |
| Buyout value | $55 billion | VGC |
| Debt after the buyout | Around $18 billion | VGC |
| Annual cost-reduction target | $700 million | VGC |
What did BioWare announce about its games and transition?\n
BioWare said early development on the next Mass Effect project was ending as the studio closed. Its announcement said the company would focus on its talented team and support its members through the transition, while also thanking players for the role they played in the studio’s games.
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BioWare published the announcement on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Sources
- EA To Shut Down BioWare And Cancel The Next Mass Effect Game — kotaku.com, 2026-10-21
- EA is closing BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Effect — videogameschronicle.com, 2026-10-21
- BioWare Shutting Down, Next Mass Effect Canceled — nordic.ign.com, 2026-10-21
- EA Shutting Down RPG Dev BioWare, Next Mass Effect ... — pushsquare.com, 2026-10-21
- EA shuts down BioWare, studio behind Mass Effect ... — mashable.com, 2026-10-21
- RIP BioWare: EA shuts down storied RPG studio after over ... — arstechnica.com, 2026-10-21