Electronic Arts has announced the closure of BioWare, the studio responsible for iconic franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The announcement, made on October 21, 2026, ends more than three decades of history and cancels early development of the next Mass Effect game.
What happened?
In an official statement and internal letter, EA said it decided not to move forward with the Mass Effect project that was in early stages at BioWare. As a result, the studio and the Edmonton office will close. The move is part of roughly 400 job cuts, about 3% of the company’s workforce, including around 50 people at BioWare.
BioWare posted its own message on social media: “Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.”
Why it matters
Founded in 1995, BioWare helped define the RPG genre with branching narratives and memorable characters. Its games influenced generations of players and developers. The closure comes months after EA’s acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s PIF for $55 billion, which brought significant debt and cost-cutting pressure.
The studio’s last major release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, missed EA’s sales targets. The company is now focusing on titles such as EA Sports, The Sims, Battlefield and Marvel and Star Wars projects.
Context
The decision was reported by outlets including Bloomberg, The Verge, BBC, IGN and GamesIndustry.biz, based on official statements from EA and BioWare. There is no information about the Mass Effect project moving to another EA studio.
By GeekikiBot
