EA Shuts Down BioWare, Cancels Next Mass Effect
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Neutral summary
Electronic Arts has announced the closure of Canadian studio BioWare, which operated for more than 30 years, and the cancellation of the next Mass Effect game, which was in early development. The decision was announced on the evening of October 21 in a letter to employees from Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and chief operating officer David Tinson. As part of the restructuring, the publisher will cut about 400 positions — roughly 3% of its workforce — including around 50 BioWare employees. In addition to Mass Effect, a planned game in The Sims franchise codenamed Project Lotus has been canceled, with its resources redirected to a project codenamed Project Evergreen. Respawn and DICE will team up on Star Wars: Battlefront 3. The restructuring is the first major move by EA since the company went private this summer under a consortium of investors including Saudi Arabia's PIF fund. Staff at the Skate studio have also reported layoffs. BioWare was founded in 1995 and is known for series such as Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
How it was framed
Outlets: 54. Countries: 14. Facts in the shared core: 3.
Publication timeline
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Variety (outlet profile)
Electronic Arts Laying Off 3% of Employees in Studios Restructuring: BioWare Shutting Down, Respawn and DICE to Team on ‘Star Wars: Battlefront 3’. Videogame giant Electronic Arts, in its first major move since going pr…
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Игромания (outlet profile)
Студия закрывается, а следующую Mass Effect отменили. Студию BioWare решили закрыть. При этом следующую часть Mass Effect, находящуюся на ранних этапах разработки, отменили.
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IGN (outlet profile)
BioWare Shutting Down, Next Mass Effect Canceled. BioWare is shutting down and the next Mass Effect game is canceled, according to a new report.
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VGC (outlet profile)
EA is closing BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Effect. Electronic Arts is closing historic studio BioWare, and cancelling the next Mass Effect game. In …
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DTF (outlet profile)
BioWare объявила о закрытии — спустя 31 год работы. Производство следующей части Mass Effect отменено.
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GameSpot (outlet profile)
EA Shuts Down Dragon Age, Mass Effect Studio BioWare. Publisher Electronic Arts is planning to shut down legendary RPG studio BioWare, laying off about 50 employees at the studio alongside 350 more elsewhere at EA. In a…
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PC Gamer (outlet profile)
RIP BioWare: EA has shut down the legendary RPG developer. Bloomberg also reports that EA is cutting "around 400 jobs" across the company.
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The Verge (outlet profile)
EA is shutting down BioWare. BioWare, the legendary studio behind RPGs like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic, is shutting down, the company confirmed in a statement. Alongside the closu…
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Vandal (outlet profile)
EA cierra Bioware, cancela el próximo Mass Effect y despide a 400 personas. Electronic Arts ha anunciado el cierre de uno de los estudios más emblemáticos entre los aficionados al PC y recorta 400 empleos, el 3 % de su…
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Terra (outlet profile)
BioWare fecha as portas após mais de 30 anos e cancela novo Mass Effect. Em uma postagem feita nas redes sociais, a BioWare anunciou que está encerrando suas atividades ...
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StopGame (outlet profile)
Официально: EA закроет BioWare и отменит следующую Mass Effect [обновлено]. Обновлено 21 октября. BioWare официально подтвердила, что студия закрыта, а разработка следующей Mass Effect отменена.… […]
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Gamekult (outlet profile)
Electronic Arts ferme BioWare et annule Mass Effect 5. C'est fini. Après des mois de doutes, Electronic Arts a confirmé ce que tout le monde craignait : pour aider à rembourser sa dette de 20 milliards de dollars, génér…
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Игромания (outlet profile)
EA высказалась о реорганизации, Battlefield, The Sims и Apex Legends. Electronic Arts выпустила обращение к сотрудникам касательно организационных изменений внутри компании. Издатель уже закрыл студию BioWare, увольняя…
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ТАСС (outlet profile)
Разработчик видеоигр Bioware сообщил о прекращении деятельности. Компания отменяет новую часть франшизы Mass Effect
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Осторожно, новости (outlet profile)
EA закрывает BioWare — легендарную студию, создавшую Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate и Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Разработку новой части Mass Effect отменили. О закрытии студии, основанной в 1995 год…
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Eurogamer (outlet profile)
BioWare is closing down and Mass Effect 5 is cancelled, months after Saudi Arabia's $55bn EA buyout. After over three decades of iconic RPGs, developer BioWare is closing down and its in-development Mass Effect game is…
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3DNews (outlet profile)
Новая Mass Effect отменена, BioWare закрыта, 400 человек уволены: переход под контроль Саудовской Аравии не прошёл для Electronic Arts бесследно. Американский издатель Electronic Arts после перехода под контроль Саудовс…
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Flow Games (outlet profile)
BioWare, de Mass Effect e Dragon Age, fecha as portas de vez. Estúdio BioWare confirma publicamente que está encerrando as suas atividades
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Коммерсантъ (outlet profile)
Создавшая игры Mass Effect и Dragon Age студия BioWare закрылась. Канадская компания по разработке игр BioWare объявила о закрытии. Она была основана в 1995 году и с 2007-го была дочерней компанией корпорации Electronic…
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GameSpot (outlet profile)
EA Kills BioWare, Cancels New Mass Effect, Pauses New Sims Game, And All The Other Big EA News That Just Happened. When EA was acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, many expected major changes at the gaming…
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Numerama (outlet profile)
C’est fini pour BioWare : le prochain jeu Mass Effect est annulé. Dans un court communiqué publié sur X ce mercredi 21 octobre, BioWare a annoncé sa fermeture. Le studio est connu pour les franchises Dragon Age et Mass…
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Frandroid (outlet profile)
De Baldur’s Gate à Mass Effect : EA sacrifie BioWare. C'est un monument du jeu de rôle occidental qui s'effondre ce mercredi 21 octobre 2026. Dans le cadre d'un plan social touchant environ 400 salariés, Electronic Arts…
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Canaltech (outlet profile)
Terra arrasada: EA fecha a BioWare e cancela jogo de Mass Effect. A Electronic Arts anunciou nesta quarta-feira (21) o fechamento da BioWare , estúdio com mais de 30 anos na indústria e responsável…
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PC Gamer (outlet profile)
With BioWare dead, EA lays out its 'next chapter,' and it's pretty much as predicted: Guns and football are fine, and everything else is under the microscope. The changes predicted when Saudi Arabia bought Electronic Ar…
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Engadget (outlet profile)
EA is shutting down BioWare and cutting around 400 jobs. Skate studio Full Circle will be be reduced to "a more focused, smaller team," while a Sims project has been paused.
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Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
EA to shutter BioWare studio, cut jobs as it narrows game slate
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Metropoles (outlet profile)
BioWare anuncia fechamento após mais de 30 anos de atividade. Empresa é responsável por grandes jogos da indústria, como Mass Effect, Dragon Age e os primeiros Baldur’s Gate
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IGN (outlet profile)
The Internet Reacts to the Cancellation of Mass Effect 5 and the Death of BioWare. The Internet Reacts to the Cancelation of Mass Effect 5 and the Death of BioWare.
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VGC (outlet profile)
‘Many’ staff gone from Skate studio Full Circle as part of EA layoffs. The studio previously suffered layoffs in February
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Eurogamer (outlet profile)
EA cancels unannounced The Sims project, trims the Skate team and plans to lay off 400 workers: "We're the number one publisher in Western HD gaming". Not only is EA closing down BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Eff…
Factual core
- Electronic Arts is closing the game studio BioWare.
- Development of the next Mass Effect game has been cancelled.
- Electronic Arts is laying off about 400 employees.
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