EA closes BioWare and cancels its next Mass Effect project

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Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and cancelling its next Mass Effect game as part of a wider round of restructuring. The publisher said a small team had begun early work on the project, but it will not continue. BioWare’s Edmonton office is also set to close. EA acquired the studio in 2007 and described it as an influential role-playing game developer, while saying the decision had not been taken lightly.

The changes come after BioWare’s recent releases fell short of sales expectations. Anthem, the studio’s online action game, was shut down earlier this year, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed. IGN also points to the mixed reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda, while noting that the later Legendary Edition remasters were well received. The cancellation ends work on a new chapter that had been teased for several years; IGN says it was expected to return the series to the Milky Way, set long after the events of Mass Effect 3.

EA’s cuts extend beyond BioWare. The company is reducing its workforce by about three per cent, or roughly 400 people, according to figures reported by Variety and Bloomberg. IGN says around 50 of those roles were at BioWare. Skate developer Full Circle will also become smaller. EA said the game had attracted many players in early access, but that a more focused team would work to deliver its roadmap and support a sustainable business. At Maxis, development of Project Lotus is being paused so resources can be redirected to Project Evergreen.

The restructuring also narrows or redirects work elsewhere. EA says Respawn and DICE are collaborating on a shooter, alongside their work on Battlefield and Apex Legends; Variety identifies it as a possible Star Wars: Battlefront 3, citing its sources, while IGN attributes the same possibility to Bloomberg. EA has also said it will focus on fewer large action-adventure projects, including the next Star Wars Jedi game and Marvel’s Iron Man. Its sports division plans a return for Fight Night, while its American football team is developing a new social-focused open-world game. EA says it will share more about these projects in the coming months.

Where outlets differ

The reports give different levels of detail about BioWare’s staffing: IGN says roughly 50 of the approximately 400 job losses were at the studio, while the other account focuses on the closure and overall workforce reduction.

They attribute the Battlefront 3 possibility to different reporting: Variety cites its own sources, whereas IGN says Bloomberg reported that Respawn and DICE were likely working on it. EA has confirmed a new shooter collaboration, but the accounts do not present the game’s identity as an official announcement.

The first report emphasises the restructuring across EA’s studios and upcoming projects. IGN gives more attention to Mass Effect’s anticipated setting and to the possible implications for Amazon’s planned television adaptation, which the first report does not discuss.

• www.engadget.com
• www.ign.com