EA shuts down BioWare, cancels Mass Effect 5 and lays off 3% of staff

Electronic Arts shut down BioWare on Oct. 21, 2026, closing the studio it acquired in 2007 as part of a larger restructuring that also involved cutting 3% of the company’s global workforce. The publisher also canceled Mass Effect 5, ending development while the game was still in early stages and effectively ending the series. The cancellation removes the planned fifth main entry before it moved past early development, so there will be no Mass Effect 5 as things stand now.

BioWare was founded in Canada in 1995 and has been owned by Electronic Arts since 2007. The studio was founded around three decades before its 2026 closure and remained under EA ownership after being acquired in 2007. The studio’s franchises include Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Neverwinter Nights, and its final released game was 2024’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

In a social-media post, BioWare said it focuses on supporting its team through the transition and thanked fans for being the most meaningful part of its story. The post on BioWare’s account listed the studio’s series and closed by thanking players for enjoying and engaging with its RPGs. “incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games and supporting one another through this transition.”

In a letter to employees titled “Building EA’s Next Chapter,” posted on EA’s website on Oct. 21, 2026, the publisher outlined three strategic priorities going forward, including sports games. ComicBook.com describes the letter as lengthy and says it broke down the reasons behind the BioWare decision while laying out EA’s future vision. The sports priority sits alongside the company’s other strategic focuses.

EA Sports is developing “Project Gridiron,” a social-first, open-world American football game separate from Madden and College Football. The game is one of two new projects EA plans to reveal in the next few months. The report notes almost no further detail about the game beyond the social-first and open-world description, leaving open whether it will be free-to-play, live service, standalone, a platform, or tied to Madden. ComicBook.com speculates that Project Gridiron could become a third football title beside Madden and College Football, or replace College Football if rumors that it will not return prove true.

The article connects the possibility to recent rumors that College Football may not return, though it presents this as speculation rather than confirmation. EA said more information on its two new projects will arrive in the next few months, ahead of The Game Awards in December. ComicBook.com suggests the reveal-packed Game Awards in December may be when fans learn more about the new projects.

EA’s letter reaffirmed its commitment to the EA Sports FC franchise and said a new Fight Night title is in pre-production. The Fight Night pre-production mention appears alongside FC in the letter’s breakdown of EA Sports’ upcoming portfolio. It also described plans around relationships in sports and new ways for fans to engage with teams, athletes and sports, suggesting a more ambitious and possibly customizable experience.