Electronic Arts has closed BioWare, the celebrated studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, laying off around 400 staff, including about 50 from BioWare. Development on the next Mass Effect game has been cancelled.
01Summary
- 01EA announced the closure of BioWare on Wednesday, affecting around 400 staff, 50 of whom were at the studio.
- 02BioWare was founded in 1993 and is known for Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
- 03Development on the next Mass Effect title, first teased on 7 November 2020 (N7 Day), has been halted.
- 04The closure follows a $55 billion acquisition of EA by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, completed in August.
- 05Recent BioWare titles such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Anthem underperformed commercially, contributing to the studio's decline.
02Why it matters
The loss of BioWare ends some of the most beloved roleplaying game series, affecting millions of players and highlighting the industry's shift away from narrative-driven, risky projects amid rising development costs.
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