BioWare is closing after more than three decades, the studio announced on social media on Wednesday. Early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending at the same time, killing one of the most anticipated RPG projects in the industry.
The farewell post landed minutes after a Bloomberg report revealed roughly 400 job cuts across parent company Electronic Arts, including about 50 at BioWare. EA executives told staff the company is aligning talent and investment where it sees the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth, according to Bloomberg.
What EA's BioWare closure ends
Founded in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1995, BioWare arrived under EA in 2007, before Mass Effect and Dragon Age existed as franchises. EA's then-CEO John Riccitiello called the studio one of the most respected in the industry, pitching it as a contributor to growth in quality titles, online gaming and new intellectual property.
The years that followed brought celebrated RPGs and, later, trouble. Mass Effect Andromeda and Dragon Age: The Veilguard drew muted responses from critics and fans, while Anthem, the studio's live-service shooter, was shut down for good after an overhaul was abandoned.
BioWare also lost many of its key names over time, including founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk in 2012, longtime producer Mac Walters in 2023, and executive producer Casey Hudson, who left in 2014, returned in 2017 and departed again in 2020. In its goodbye message, the studio thanked players for debating their choices, loving the characters and making its worlds their own.
- Mass Effect
- Dragon Age
- Neverwinter Nights
