BioWare Shuts Down After More Than 30 Years as New Mass Effect Is Canceled

One of the best-known RPG studios in gaming history is shutting down for good. Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and canceling the upcoming new Mass Effect, which was still in the early stages of development. As part of broader cuts, EA is expected to lay off around 400 employees.

BioWare confirmed its closure in a brief farewell statement. The studio reflected on its more than three decades in operation and the games that made their mark on history, including Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Anthem.

https://t.co/TicSujMWps

— BioWare (@bioware) October 21, 2026

There was also bad news for Mass Effect fans. BioWare confirmed that the early development of the next Mass Effect project is ending along with the studio’s closure. The new game was first announced with a teaser back in 2020, and BioWare reassured fans as recently as last year that the team was still working on it.

“After more than three decades of adventures together, BioWare is shutting down, and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.”

The developers added in their statement that their focus is now primarily on the people at the studio and supporting them through this transition. They also thanked players for helping shape their worlds over the decades through their choices, discussions, and connections with individual characters.

BioWare’s closure is part of broader changes at Electronic Arts. According to Bloomberg, the company plans to cut around 400 jobs, or about three percent of its workforce. Approximately 50 of those positions are expected to be at BioWare. In an internal letter, EA leadership said it had reviewed its business in recent months and decided to end some projects.

BioWare was founded in 1995 and, over the following decades, became one of the studios that helped shape Western RPGs. The first Baldur's Gate helped bring computer RPGs back into the mainstream, followed by titles such as Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire. The studio later created its two biggest original franchises, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

The studio’s final years, however, were considerably more challenging. Mass Effect: Andromeda failed to match the success of the original trilogy, the online-focused Anthem became one of the studio’s biggest failures, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard was unable to restore BioWare to its former position. After completing Veilguard, the studio was significantly downsized, and its remaining core team focused on the new Mass Effect. As recently as early 2025, BioWare described itself as a smaller, more agile studio built around veterans of the original Mass Effect trilogy.

In the end, the new Mass Effect project is not moving forward, and BioWare’s history comes to a close after more than 30 years. The Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises remain owned by Electronic Arts, so today’s decision does not necessarily mean the end of the series themselves. For BioWare as a studio, however, this is the end. EA confirmed that 400 employees will be laid off.

Comments

Name:

:)