EA closes BioWare and halts next Mass Effect game
Fans of Mass Effect and Dragon Age lose their studio, though neither franchise has been formally declared dead.
Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare and its Edmonton studio, according to an internal letter, and has halted early work on the next Mass Effect game. The studio, acquired in 2008, built Mass Effect, Dragon Age and several other long-running role-playing franchises over its 31-year history. Only a few lines of the letter addressed BioWare, with EA's stated priorities centred on Battlefield, Marvel's Iron Man, a new Star Wars Jedi title, a Fight Night revival and The Sims. EA gave no staff count and no release dates, and did not declare either franchise dead. Commentators linked the decision partly to the modest reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though EA itself did not confirm that link.
Why it matters
For players, the immediate change is that BioWare's long-running role-playing series now have no studio actively developing them and no announced release dates. EA's stated priorities of Battlefield, Iron Man, a Star Wars Jedi title, Fight Night and The Sims show where the company is directing its investment. The reported weak reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a plausible backdrop, though EA has not confirmed it, so readers should treat that link as commentary rather than fact.
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