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Electronic Arts Closing BioWare, Laying Off Hundreds
Aftermath • • technology
Key Points:
- Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare, a renowned Canadian studio, cutting 400 jobs overall, including 50 from BioWare, and canceling the next Mass Effect game that was in early development.
- BioWare confirmed its closure after more than 30 years, emphasizing support for its team during the transition and ending work on the new Mass Effect project.
- EA is also canceling The Sims project "Project Lotus" to focus on other games like Project Evergreen, sports titles, Apex Legends, licensed IPs such as Iron Man and Star Wars Jedi, and continuing the Battlefield franchise.
- The studio closures and layoffs are part of EA’s broader cost-cutting measures following a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia’s investment fund, which left the company with $18 billion in debt.
- BioWare, once famous for franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, has faced recent struggles with underperforming titles like Anthem and Dragon Age: Veilguard, leading to gradual downsizing and layoffs since 2023 amid EA’s wider restructuring efforts.
