EA shuts down BioWare after 31 years

Electronic Arts shut down BioWare after 31 years, and the studio announced on Oct. 21, 2026, that it was closing and ending early work on a future Mass Effect game.

BioWare began in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1995. EA purchased the studio in 2007, before Mass Effect and Dragon Age existed, and then-CEO John Riccitiello called BioWare among the most respected studios in the industry. The studio said it focused on supporting its talented team through the transition.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard drew roughly 1.5 million players in its launch quarter, nearly 50% below EA’s expectations, according to the company. The game launched in 2024, received favorable reviews but poor fan reception, and fell short of EA’s sales expectations, according to IGN. EA provided the player figures, and IGN reported the sales shortfall.

Bloomberg reported about 400 job cuts across Electronic Arts, including about 50 at BioWare, based on information from a person familiar with the company’s plans. The studio closure followed that report.

EA went private in 2025 in a $55 billion deal involving Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and Affinity Partners, an investment firm tied to Jared Kushner. Analysts told Ars Technica to expect layoffs, studio closures and sales of intellectual property as the newly private, heavily debt-ridden company focused more on live services, annual sports franchises and microtransactions to increase profits. Separately, Saudi Arabia has criminalized homosexuality and transgender expression, with reported punishments that include fines, flogging and death.

EA’s future releases include Battlefield 6, an Iron Man action-adventure game, and a new Star Wars Jedi title. The company also highlighted sports franchises, The Sims and Skate, and its blog post contained no mention of other role-playing games (RPGs). EA said it concentrated on key areas and reduced staff on current teams. These projects are shooters, action-adventure games and sports titles, while RPGs are absent from the announced lineup.

Development time in the games industry has grown from a short span to five years or more, increasing costs and putting pressure on new games to sell millions. When games do not become big hits, it has increasingly led to studio closures, according to the source.

The shutdown arrives weeks before N7 Day on Nov. 7. The next Mass Effect game was first teased on Nov. 7, 2020.

BioWare’s recent history includes the controversial 2012 ending of Mass Effect 3 and the lukewarm 2017 reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda. The studio also made the 2014 hit Dragon Age: Inquisition, launched the flawed Anthem in 2019, and ended Anthem development in 2021.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard drew controversy for transgender and nonbinary themes, including a character creator choice that let players include top surgery scars. The game included a scene where a character accidentally misgenders a nonbinary character and performs a fictional apology ritual. The game was reportedly reworked from a Dragon Age sequel that had been mired in development difficulties.

Two months after Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s release, Inverse reported that the game had faced backlash over its handling of identity politics, part of a wider debate about other recent games. Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider said another installment was unlikely under EA and that the series had lasted before only when it beat expectations.

Marty O’Donnell, a Republican congressional candidate and composer for Halo, said the studio had lost contact with its audience after adopting progressive ideology and that EA ruined BioWare by preaching to its audience. O’Donnell said he knew BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk and was glad they left before EA destroyed the company. He predicted more closures until executives realize fans want politics out of games.

Corinne Busche, the Veilguard director and an openly queer trans woman, said themes of identity shaped everything about who she is and had been a source of joy, difficulty and perspective. Busche spoke to Inverse about how identity influenced the game and described introspection as a gift of being trans.