EA Shuts Down BioWare, Cuts About 400 Jobs

BioWare Closure and Layoffs

Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that it will shut down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and eliminate roughly 400 positions across the company. The decision follows the closure of Anthem earlier this year and the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The changes were expected after EA went private and its new owners saddled it with 20 billion dollars of debt. EA acquired BioWare in 2007 and had a small team in early work on the next Mass Effect game, but that project has been cancelled.

The layoffs represent about three percent of EA's total workforce, roughly 400 people, according to Variety. In a memo, co-presidents Cam Weber and David Tinson described BioWare as a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre and said the decision was not taken lightly. The Edmonton, Alberta office will also be closed.

Impact on Other Studios

The Skate developer Full Circle will be reduced to a smaller, more focused team despite the game's early-access success since September last year. EA said the change aims to create a healthier and more sustainable business for the title.

At Maxis, development of the project known as Project Lotus is being paused so resources can be shifted to Project Evergreen, another Sims-related initiative.

Future Projects and Strategy

EA is also working on Battlefield projects and Apex Legends, which has more multiplayer modes on the way. Respawn and Dice are collaborating on a new shooter that, according to Variety's sources, will be Star Wars Battlefront 3. Rumors this week suggested Bungie was among the studios in the running, but it seems the series is staying within EA, and Dice developed the previous two Battlefront games.

EA Sports plans to revive the Fight Night series and is working on a brand-new, social-first open-world experience for its American football franchise. The company also intends to concentrate on fewer large-scale action-adventure projects after the upcoming Marvel Iron Man and Star Wars Jedi titles. More details on these projects are expected in the coming months.

Sources: Engadget · Techmeme