Electronic Arts announced on 21 October 2026 that it will cut approximately 400 jobs — around 3% of its total workforce — and shut down BioWare, the long-running development studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. The next Mass Effect game, which was in early development at BioWare, will be cancelled as part of the restructuring. The news was communicated to staff in a letter from EA Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber.
BioWare confirmed its own closure in a public statement, saying 'after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.' Roughly 50 of the 400 total job cuts are at BioWare itself. EA also said it was cancelling a planned Sims franchise game code-named Project Lotus, choosing instead to prioritise a different venture code-named Project Evergreen. The company added that it would continue to develop its skateboarding game 'skate' but would downsize the team behind it.
BioWare was founded in 1995 and acquired by Electronic Arts in 2007. During its early years under EA, the studio released a string of critically acclaimed roleplaying games across the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, as well as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [Source: The Verge]. In more recent years, BioWare struggled with critically panned releases including Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. Its most recent title, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, missed sales expectations and had already prompted EA to cut staff at the studio the previous year.
The restructuring comes roughly two and a half months after EA completed its $55 billion take-private acquisition, led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, which closed on 4 August 2026. EA shareholders received $210 per share in cash under the merger agreement, representing a roughly 25% premium to the unaffected share price [Source: Electronic Arts 8-K filing (SEC)]. The deal, first announced on 29 September 2025 and approved by EA stockholders on 22 December 2025, was financed with approximately $36 billion in equity from the consortium and $20 billion in debt financing committed by JPMorgan Chase Bank, of which $18 billion was expected to be funded at close [Source: Electronic Arts DEFA14A filing (SEC)]. The transaction has been described as the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history [Source: Electronic Arts 8-K filing (SEC)].
Sources: Bloomberg, The Verge, BBC News, ABC7 New York (Associated Press), Electronic Arts 8-K filing (SEC), Electronic Arts DEFA14A filing (SEC)