Bloomberg: EA closed BioWare and canceled Mass Effect for Star Wars
Electronic Arts has canceled development of the next Mass Effect game and closed BioWare as part of a restructuring plan that cuts roughly 400 jobs, or 3% of the publisher’s total workforce. Bloomberg reported that the publisher chose to back a new Star Wars project instead of a new Mass Effect RPG, citing development costs projected in the hundreds of millions of dollars for each science-fiction title.
Electronic Arts is being bought by investors for 55 miljard dollar, an acquisition funded by debt that saddled the company with an 18 miljard dollar deficit that needed to be balanced.
Star Wars Funding Overtakes Mass Effect
Faced with financial pressure following its acquisition, Electronic Arts evaluated its upcoming multi-year portfolio and weighed two costly science-fiction action games against each other, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. The publisher opted to invest in Star Wars Battlefront 3 rather than the next Mass Effect title. Sources reported that development on the Mass Effect project was already underway, while Star Wars Battlefront 3 had not yet entered active production. EA considered the Star Wars multiplayer franchise a less risky and more predictable financial bet.
BioWare had faced criticism over recent releases including Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which did not perform as well as earlier games from the studio. After EA scaled back the studio following the failure of The Veilguard, approximately 50 employees were still working on Mass Effect 5, and the studio had released teasers about the game’s setting and story over the past five years before closing. An internal trailer for Mass Effect 5 later leaked online, showing elements including a star system map on a ship. Meanwhile, Star Wars: Battlefront 3 is developed by Respawn and DICE.
Industry Veterans Criticize EA Leadership
The studio closure drew sharp criticism from industry veterans. BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk, who left the studio in 2012, described the private equity buyout of EA as the final nail in the coffin for Mass Effect, stating that modern leadership lacks practical development experience. Zeschuk noted that he emotionally distanced himself from BioWare over a decade ago and expressed concern over how the broader gaming sector treats its staff, pointing out that many top decision-makers have never made games themselves. He added that BioWare created unusual, time-consuming and complex games, whereas it is easier to release sports games every year as a better business model. Meanwhile, Avi Lewis, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, proposed on Bluesky that the Canadian government provide financial backing to allow former BioWare developers to independently acquire the studio. Other users on BlueSky suggested BioWare closed because Saudi Arabia’s investment fund dislikes studio progressiveness, while Twitter users claimed the studio suffered for being too woke, though Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that these were not the decisive reasons for EA’s decision. Translator Ninh Ngoc Duy serves as Translation Sections Manager, having published 87,7765 articles on Notebookcheck since 2008.
Fans Petition to Save the BioWare Franchise
While the core BioWare studio has closed, the BioWare location in Austin remains open to provide support for various EA games currently in development. Fans have responded to the studio’s closure by launching a petition to save the franchise, which has neared 300,000 signatures, though no indications exist that EA is willing to part with the franchise despite its temporary halt, and questions remain regarding franchise rights and whether the property would go to another studio. Despite the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 and the closure of its developer, Amazon continues development on its Mass Effect television series for Prime Video.