Electronic Arts announced Wednesday that it is closing BioWare, the acclaimed developer behind iconic role-playing franchises such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age, as part of a restructuring plan that eliminates roughly 400 jobs across the video game giant.
The staff reductions amount to approximately three percent of EA’s worldwide workforce, which stood at around 14,500 employees before the move, Variety reported. Roughly 50 of the affected positions are at BioWare, where operations and the studio’s primary facility in Edmonton, Alberta, will permanently cease.
The End of an RPG Pioneer
Founded more than 30 years ago and acquired by EA in 2007, BioWare established a revered status in interactive storytelling through titles including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. However, the studio experienced turbulence in recent years following the troubled launch of Anthem and weaker-than-anticipated sales for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
In a company memo distributed to staff, EA President and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber and Chief Operating Officer David Tinson confirmed the closure along with the cancellation of an upcoming Mass Effect title that had entered early stages of creation. BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly, the executives stated.
BioWare also shared a farewell message reflecting on its three-decade journey, expressing gratitude to gamers who debated narrative choices, bonded with characters, and immersed themselves in its fictional realms. Studio leaders stated that their primary focus is helping developers and staff navigate the transition.
Shifting Focus to Core Franchises
The restructuring marks EA’s first sweeping studio realignment since going private on Aug. 4 in a $55 billion all-cash transaction backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. Engadget noted that the buyout loaded the publisher with $20 billion in debt, ramping up pressure to emphasize reliable revenue streams.
Beyond shuttering BioWare, EA is reshaping several other divisions. Development team Full Circle is scaling back to a leaner crew to support Skate, which entered early access in September 2025. At Maxis, the company is halting work on an initiative called Project Lotus to direct additional resources toward Project Evergreen for The Sims franchise.
EA intends to concentrate on large-scale multiplayer titles, sports simulations, and high-profile action games. The publisher plans sustained funding for Apex Legends and future Battlefield entries following Battlefield 6. Studio subsidiaries Respawn and DICE are also partnering on an unannounced shooter, which Variety sources reported is Star Wars: Battlefront 3.
In the action-adventure category, EA reaffirmed commitments to its forthcoming Marvel’s Iron Man title and the next installment of the Star Wars Jedi franchise, though management signaled it will limit how many large-scale action games it undertakes concurrently going forward.
Sports Revivals and Lingering Questions
EA Sports is preparing new initiatives, including Project Gridiron, described as an open-world American football project, alongside the revival of its boxing franchise Fight Night following a 15-year absence.
EA stated it will assist departing personnel with internal transfer applications where possible. The status of an in-development Mass Effect television adaptation at Amazon remains unsettled, as spokespersons for both companies declined to comment on the production’s future.
