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Electronic Arts and its subsidiary studio BioWare officially announced the closure of the studio on October 21, 2026. This decision includes the cancellation of the latest Mass Effect series title, which was in the early stages of development.
Founded in 1995 by Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip, BioWare became renowned for story-driven RPGs where player choices influence the narrative. The studio achieved success with titles like Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the Dragon Age series. However, recent projects including Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet Electronic Arts' sales targets.
According to Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, the restructuring involves laying off approximately 400 employees across Electronic Arts, representing 3% of its total workforce. This includes about 50 staff members from BioWare. Executives Cam Weber and David Tinson cited intensifying market competition and shifting player preferences as reasons for concentrating resources on growth-oriented businesses.
Following the closure, Electronic Arts plans to prioritize major franchises such as Battlefield, Apex Legends, and EA SPORTS. The company is also reducing its focus on other action-adventure projects and scaling back the skate. development team. This closure marks the end of BioWare's 30-plus years of operations, following Electronic Arts' transition to a private company in August 2026.
