EA Closes BioWare and Ends Development of Mass Effect Game

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and ending early development of the studio’s next Mass Effect game, the company and studio said on October 21. The decision is part of a restructuring in which EA plans to cut about 400 jobs across the company, including roughly 50 at BioWare, according to an internal letter to employees. BioWare, which was founded in 1995 and became known for role-playing games including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, announced the closure in a statement posted online. The studio said it was closing and that early development on the next Mass Effect project was ending. The announcement brings BioWare’s more than 30-year run as a game developer to a close. EA Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber outlined the job reductions in a letter to employees. The cuts amount to about 3% of EA’s workforce, according to reporting on the letter. The estimate of roughly 50 affected BioWare employees is included in the wider total of about 400; one report put the remaining 350 cuts at other studios. The company’s restructuring also includes canceling Project Lotus, a planned game in The Sims franchise, and shifting focus to Project Evergreen,...