Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the Canadian studio behind some of the most celebrated role-playing games ever made, and ending early development on the next Mass Effect game. BioWare announced its own closure in a statement posted on social media on October 21, 2026, writing that "after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending."
Founded in 1995, BioWare built genre-defining titles including Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. EA acquired the studio in 2007. Its last release was 2024's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which drew positive reviews but fell short of EA's sales expectations.
The closure is part of a wider restructuring at EA. Bloomberg reported that the company is cutting roughly 400 jobs, about 3 percent of its workforce, including around 50 people at BioWare. In a staff memo, EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber said a small team at BioWare had been working on early-stage development for Mass Effect, and that the company had decided not to move forward, meaning "we're closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace."
The cuts are the first major restructuring since EA went private in a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, which closed earlier this year. Bloomberg's reporting notes the buyout left the company carrying significant debt and a commitment to hundreds of millions in annual cost reductions.
There is some consolation for Mass Effect fans: IGN reported, citing sources inside Prime Video, that the live-action Mass Effect TV series at Amazon MGM Studios remains in development, with showrunner Doug Jung and writer Daniel Casey still attached. EA has also confirmed it will continue investing in its sports franchises, Apex Legends, Battlefield and upcoming action-adventure titles including the next Star Wars Jedi game and Marvel's Iron Man.
Existing BioWare games remain available, and the studio thanked players for being "the most meaningful part of our story" across its 30-year run. What becomes of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises under EA going forward is still unclear.