Overview
- Electronic Arts confirmed it closed BioWare and cancelled the studio’s in-progress Mass Effect project following an internal review of its studios and projects.
- Reporting from Bloomberg and multiple outlets says a key practical reason was a choice to fund a new Star Wars Battlefront title instead of completing Mass Effect, even though Battlefront 3 had not yet entered development.
- EA’s August $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund left the company with about $18 billion in debt, which executives told staff changed how they weighed very costly projects.
- Contributors to the decision cited BioWare’s recent commercial struggles with Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard and an executive reshuffle that reduced internal advocacy for the studio.
- The closure cost several hundred jobs after BioWare had already been reduced to roughly 50 people, has prompted fan rescue campaigns and raises questions about whether big single‑player RPGs will get greenlit while publishers favour predictable shooter and live‑service franchises.