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EA shuts down BioWare as part of about 400 job cuts

The cuts equal roughly 3% of Electronic Arts' workforce, with about 50 at BioWare's Edmonton studio, according to Bloomberg. EA also cancelled a Sims project code-named Project Lotus; the fate of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands is unknown.

By Rowan Ashby Published 21.10.26 17:34 UTC 5 min read

BioWare / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain (text logo; BioWare/EA trademark) · Source

Key takeaways

EA is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, as part of about 400 job cuts reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
The cuts equal roughly 3% of Electronic Arts' workforce. About 50 of them are at BioWare's studio in Edmonton, Canada, according to Bloomberg.
BioWare said in its own statement that the studio is closing and that early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending.
EA also cancelled a Sims project code-named "Project Lotus", according to Bloomberg's account of an internal letter. The company says it will keep investing in EA Sports, Apex Legends and Battlefield.
It is not yet known when the studio will formally close, or what will happen to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age brands.

EA shuts down BioWare: what happened

EA shuts down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, amid about 400 job cuts reported by Bloomberg on October 21. "BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending," the studio said, according to RPG Site.

Bloomberg says the closure is part of about 400 layoffs, around 3% of EA's staff. A person familiar with the company's plans told Bloomberg that about 50 of those jobs are at BioWare.

Bloomberg reviewed an internal letter to employees dated October 21. Dexerto reports that it was signed by chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber. "Over the past several months, we've taken a hard look at our business," the executives wrote. They also described "deliberate choices to align talent and investments" across EA's portfolio.

What we know so far

The table below sets out the main points reported as of 17:30 UTC on October 21, 2026, and who reported each one.

Item	Detail	Reported by
Total job cuts	About 400 (roughly 3% of the workforce)	Bloomberg, via Dexerto, Gematsu and MobileSyrup
BioWare jobs affected	About 50, in Edmonton	Bloomberg, via MobileSyrup and RPG Site
Studio status	Closing	BioWare statement; Bloomberg
Next Mass Effect	Early development ended	BioWare statement; Bloomberg
The Sims "Project Lotus"	Cancelled; "Project Evergreen" to be prioritised	Bloomberg, via Dexerto
skate.	Development continues with a smaller team	Bloomberg, via Dexerto
Respawn and DICE	To work together on a new project, likely a Star Wars Battlefront game	Bloomberg, via Dexerto and Variety
Continued investment	EA Sports, Apex Legends, Battlefield, the next Star Wars Jedi game and a Marvel Iron Man game	EA letter, via Bloomberg and Dexerto

What we don't know yet

Timing. No outlet has reported a closing date for the studio.
The franchises. EA has not said whether Mass Effect, Dragon Age or other BioWare brands will continue at another studio.
Other locations. EA has not published a full breakdown of where the other roughly 350 cuts fall.
Support for current players. No details have been reported on online services or patches for existing BioWare games. For the wider question of what players keep when a studio or service ends, see our explainer on game ownership rules.

Background: why EA is cutting BioWare now

Doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, who trained at the University of Alberta, founded BioWare in Edmonton in 1995, according to MobileSyrup. The studio made its name with Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, then created Mass Effect and Dragon Age. EA agreed to buy BioWare in 2007.

The studio's recent record has been mixed. Dexerto notes that players and critics were hard on Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. BioWare's last release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), fell short of EA's sales expectations. In 2025, Bloomberg reported that BioWare had roughly halved in size over two years, as EA cut staff and moved developers to other teams.

The closure comes about two months after EA went private. A $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed in August 2026. Dexerto reports that the deal added about $18 billion of debt, and that EA had told investors it saw ways to save up to $700 million, partly by reducing research and development spending. GamesRadar and MobileSyrup also link the cuts to the period after the buyout. EA's letter does not give a specific financial reason for closing BioWare.

A day after the closure, a two-minute cinematic presented as an internal BioWare trailer for the cancelled next Mass Effect appeared on Reddit; its authenticity has not been confirmed (our report on the Mass Effect trailer leak). Elsewhere in role-playing games, Square Enix released its first HD-2D Final Fantasy on October 22; see what to know about Final Fantasy Resonance.

What it means

For players, the clearest result is that the next Mass Effect is no longer in development at BioWare. The game had been teased since 2020. Whether the series continues elsewhere is unconfirmed.

For the games industry, the closure fits a pattern of large publishers trimming studios and focusing on a few big franchises. EA's letter names sports, Apex Legends, Battlefield and licensed action games as priorities, but not single-player role-playing games. It follows other high-profile job cuts this autumn, including eBay's plan to cut about 9% of its staff. Meanwhile, the release calendar remains crowded with big shooters such as Modern Warfare 4 and the titles shown at the October ID@Xbox showcase.

For Edmonton, the loss of about 50 jobs is small in raw numbers but symbolic. BioWare has been one of Canada's best-known game developers for three decades. Bullquill will update this story as EA, BioWare or affected staff give more details.

Frequently asked questions

Is BioWare really shutting down?

Yes. Bloomberg reported on October 21, 2026 that Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, and BioWare said in its own statement that the studio is closing. No closing date has been reported.

Is the next Mass Effect cancelled?

BioWare said early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending. EA has not said whether the series could continue at another studio.

How many jobs is EA cutting?

About 400, or roughly 3% of its workforce, according to Bloomberg. About 50 of those jobs are at BioWare in Edmonton.

Why is EA closing BioWare?

EA's internal letter, reviewed by Bloomberg, says the company took a hard look at its business and is focusing on sports, Apex Legends, Battlefield and a few action games. The cuts follow EA's $55 billion take-private buyout, completed in August 2026.