BioWare's Mass Effect and Dragon Age end after over 30 years
The closure of BioWare marks the end of an era for Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
By Kateryna Melnyk ·
Electronic Arts (EA) is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, after 31 years. A recent letter to employees confirmed that early development on the next Mass Effect game has also been canceled. BioWare was responsible for iconic franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur’s Gate, but its legacy is now ending. EA is shifting its focus to Battlefield, Iron Man, and a revival of Fight Night.
BioWare was acquired by EA in 2008, and EA itself went private in August. The next Mass Effect game was first announced in November 2020, with an official trailer released that December. In 2021, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition remaster of the original trilogy was released. Since then, the studio has been relatively quiet, with only the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024.
EA has outlined three main priorities: Deepen Our Core, Expand Our Reach, and Transform Our Business. Battlefield 6 is described as a great success, and EA is focusing on Apex Legends modes, Marvel’s Iron Man, and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Project Gridiron, a social-first, open-world experience from EA’s American football team, is also in development, with a Fight Night revival currently in pre-production. The company has not forgotten about The Sims, and it is working on “Project Evergreen.”
Those affected by the closure will be supported in exploring other opportunities within EA. EA has not given a job count, and it has not declared the Mass Effect or Dragon Age series dead, nor has it mentioned its released games. Veilguard, as EA described it early last year, engaged only about 1.5 million players during the quarter, which was down nearly 50% from the company’s expectations. This may have partially influenced the decision, though EA has not explicitly stated this.
The move is not entirely unexpected, as job cuts are common in the industry. For example, in July, Microsoft announced 3,200 Xbox job cuts, citing low margins. EA did not reveal any dates for major titles, but it plans to discuss its direction and the work ahead with staff at its Global Town Hall in November. For now, it looks like EA is doubling down on its core franchises and dropping the studio to refocus on what’s been working.
Source: Tom's Hardware
