Just weeks after EA completed its acquisition and subsequent privatization by a consortium of companies, BioWare—the studio behind iconic role-playing game series such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect—has announced its closure. EA stated that the move is part of a business restructuring intended to drive “sustainable growth” and reprioritize its upcoming game projects. As part of this streamlining effort, EA is reportedly cutting 400 jobs across the entire company.
According to a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday, these layoffs will result in the closure of BioWare. A long-standing game studio, BioWare created industry-defining classics like Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, before achieving even broader success with the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises.
EA has announced the cancellation of the next Mass Effect title, which had been in early development by a small team at BioWare. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the entire 50-person development team at BioWare will be laid off.
In a statement, EA said: “BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing game genre; we did not make this decision lightly.”
“For over 30 years, BioWare has been more than just a studio—it has been a home for the storytellers, developers, and players who bring our worlds to life,” BioWare stated in a post shared on social media.
“Now, after more than three decades of adventures together, BioWare is closing its doors, and early development on the next Mass Effect project is coming to an end.”
“Writing these words is not easy. Our focus right now is on this incredibly talented team—they are fully committed to the competition and are supporting one another through this period of transition.”
EA Realigns Game Portfolio Priorities
EA has announced a realignment of its investment priorities, focusing on core franchises within the shooter, sports, and action-adventure genres. This includes Battlefield, Apex Legends, the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi series, and two new EA Sports projects: an all-new, “social-first” open-world American football game (codenamed “Project Gridiron”) and a new entry in the Fight Night boxing series.
In addition to upcoming Battlefield titles, two of EA’s studios—Respawn and DICE—are collaborating on a future project designed to further expand the company’s portfolio of shooter games. Regarding the action-adventure genre, EA stated that it will concentrate on developing fewer but larger-scale projects, ensuring that each one is positioned for “unquestionable success.”
In addition, the company confirmed that it will halt development on the mobile multiplayer simulation game The Sims in order to focus its efforts on the successor to The Sims 4, titled The Sims 4: Evergreen.
EA stated: “The decisions we have made regarding our priorities, ways of working, and product portfolio reflect our confidence in the future of EA. Some of these decisions open up exciting new opportunities, while others are more difficult—especially for the employees and teams within the company who are directly affected. In these instances, we will support those impacted in exploring other career opportunities within EA, and we are committed to treating our affected colleagues with care and respect.”
This round of layoffs at EA comes just over two months after the company’s acquisition and subsequent privatization by a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, private equity firm Silver Lake, and U.S.-based investment firm Affinity Partners. The acquisition was a record-breaking leveraged buyout, with a valuation reaching $55 billion.
However, as part of the acquisition, EA also assumed $20 billion in debt that JPMorgan had committed to provide. Prior to the completion of the acquisition, EA had $1.485 billion in non-convertible debt maturing in 2026.
In May 2025, EA canceled its Black Panther game project and shut down the developer, Cliffhanger Games, as part of a large-scale round of layoffs at the company. Just weeks earlier, EA had also laid off hundreds of employees at Respawn Entertainment and canceled a Titanfall game project. In addition to the cuts made by parent company EA, BioWare also implemented layoffs; following the lukewarm reception to the 2024 release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the studio’s headcount has fallen to fewer than 100 employees.