Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the influential game studio behind some of the industry’s most acclaimed role-playing titles, after more than 30 years. The company has also canceled the next “Mass Effect” game, which would have been the franchise’s fifth installment since 2007.
BioWare confirmed the shutdown on social media Wednesday, after Bloomberg reported that EA was eliminating 400 jobs, including roughly 50 positions at BioWare.
The Redwood Shores, California-based publisher of “Battlefield” and “The Sims” recently completed the $55 billion sale of its business to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners. The latter is led by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
EA representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the reported layoffs.
“What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember,” the studio said in its social media announcement. “These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with characters, and made these worlds your own.”
Founded on immersive role-playing experiences, BioWare earned a loyal following with fantasy adventures including “Baldur’s Gate” and “Dragon Age,” as well as science-fiction classics such as “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Mass Effect.”
The studio’s move into multiplayer shooters, however, took it away from its signature strength: richly developed, single-player storytelling. Released in 2019, “Anthem” failed to build the enduring player base enjoyed by online games such as “Fortnite” and “Overwatch.”
BioWare’s two most recent entries in its major original series also faced challenges. “Mass Effect: Andromeda,” released in 2017, and 2024’s “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” received mixed reviews and left many longtime fans disappointed. A new “Mass Effect” project had been in development before the studio announced its closure.
BioWare was founded in Canada in 1995 and acquired by EA in 2007.
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Associated Press Writer Lou Kesten in Washington contributed.
