End of an era: Bioware to shut down, next Mass Effect development cancelled
The venerable RPG studio Bioware is shutting down after more than 30 years in the industry. As part of the announcement, Electronic Arts confirmed that development on the next Mass Effect project is being terminated.
The decision to close the studio comes from parent company EA. In an open letter, Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber stated the move is intended to "align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth."
As part of this realignment, EA has cancelled Project Lotus, a title within The Sims series, to prioritize Project Evergreen instead. However, the publisher plans to maintain investment in its sports titles, Apex Legends, Battlefield, and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Additionally, Dice and Respawn are reportedly collaborating on a new project, which is expected to be a new Star Wars: Battlefront entry.
The restructuring involves approximately 400 layoffs across EA, with 50 of those occurring at Bioware. This follows the massive $55 billion leveraged buyout of EA earlier this year, which transitioned the company to private ownership and saddled it with significant debt. Financial pressures were further highlighted by the performance of Dragon Age: Veilguard; EA CEO Andrew Wilson noted the game reached 1.5 million players, falling short of the company's 3 million target.
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