EA to Close BioWare, Mass Effect Studio, and Cut About 400 Jobs

Electronic Arts said on 21 October 2026 that it is closing BioWare, the Edmonton studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and ending early development on the next Mass Effect project. The closure is part of a restructuring that cuts about 400 jobs, roughly 3% of EA’s workforce.

The move follows EA’s $55 billion take-private buyout by an investor group including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. Video Games Chronicle says the closure came about two months after the deal, while Game Developer says the layoffs came a few months after.

A Narrower Slate After a Change of Ownership

Reuters, in a report datelined 21 October and syndicated by The Daily Guardian, says EA plans to close BioWare and cut jobs to focus on more lucrative projects. In a letter to staff seen by Bloomberg, EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber described a hard look at the business over the past several months, as reported by Video Games Chronicle.

Video Games Chronicle reports that the buyout left EA with around $18 billion in debt and roughly $1.8 billion in annual interest payments. Earlier this year, EA told debt investors it would cut $700 million in annual costs, including $170 million from organisational efficiencies.

EA said it will keep investing in sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield and action-adventure titles, including the next Star Wars Jedi game and Marvel’s Iron Man. Game Developer, citing Bloomberg, reports that a Sims project codenamed Project Lotus has been cancelled, that Project Evergreen is being prioritised, and that resources are being pulled from Full Circle’s skate, which remains in active development.

Size of the Cuts
KATV gives EA’s last reported headcount as 14,500 employees. 400 of 14,500 is about 2.8%, while KATV puts the cut at 3% of the global workforce.

Jobs, Headcount and the Mass Effect Franchise

Bloomberg, as cited by Game Developer and Video Games Chronicle, puts the total at about 400 jobs, including about 50 at BioWare. KATV gives EA’s last reported headcount as 14,500 employees. 400 of 14,500 is about 2.8%, while KATV puts the cut at 3% of the global workforce.

BioWare was founded in 1995 and is based in Edmonton. Video Games Chronicle says Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk founded the studio, which built its reputation on role-playing games including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. EA acquired BioWare in 2007.

Video Games Chronicle notes that the next Mass Effect game was announced in 2020 and had shown little since, and that Mass Effect’s director said in 2025 that it was still in development. KATV dates the announcement to December 2020. EA had already downsized BioWare’s development team in 2025. Game Developer reports that Anthem, the studio’s online science fiction RPG, sold around 5 million copies before it was shut down.

What EA and BioWare Have Said

BioWare announced the closure on social media. Its post says the studio is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending, and it says there is nothing easy about writing those words. KATV reports that the post’s focus is on the team and on supporting one another through the transition.

Game Developer quotes the EA letter as describing ‘deliberate choices to align talent and investments’. The memo describes a hard look at the business over the past several months. KATV reports that Weber and Tinson also said Respawn Entertainment and DICE are collaborating on a future project. KATV says reports identify it as Star Wars: Battlefront 3, a title EA has not confirmed.

Game Developer also reports that employees received only vague reassurances about the company’s future after the buyout, and that some workers raised concern about possible Saudi government influence despite promises that EA would operate independently under new ownership. One anonymous employee told Game Developer it was hard to see how underperforming teams or games would avoid being dissolved or sold off.

The closure is part of a restructuring that cuts about 400 jobs, roughly 3% of EA’s workforce.

What Happens Next

Reported so far are the closure of BioWare, the end of early development on the next Mass Effect project, and about 400 layoffs across EA.

What has been reported is EA’s stated plan to keep investing in sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield and action-adventure titles, and the roughly 400 cuts.