Electronic Arts shuts down BioWare, cancels next Mass Effect amid 400 layoffs

The closure follows EA's recent privatization and a $55 billion sale to a Saudi sovereign fund and partners.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 22 Oct 2026 02:14:24 GMT

Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday that it is closing its BioWare studio and cancelling the next Mass Effect title, while cutting roughly 400 jobs across the company, including about 50 at BioWare, according to Bloomberg and Variety.

What happened

EA, which was recently privatized after a $55 billion sale involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, said it will reduce its workforce by about 3 % – roughly 400 employees. The cuts include the complete shutdown of BioWare, a studio founded more than three decades ago that created franchises such as "Battlefield," "The Sims," "Baldur’s Gate," "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect." The upcoming Mass Effect game, described as the fifth in the series and still in early development, will not be completed.

What the reports add

Bloomberg reported the layoffs and the BioWare closure, noting that about 50 of the 400 jobs are at the studio. Variety supplied the total employee count of about 14,500, which underpins the 3 % workforce reduction figure. The Independent quoted EA’s social‑media statement that BioWare is shutting down after "more than three decades of shared adventures," while Gizmodo reproduced the same statement and added that the studio’s closure will send the unfinished Mass Effect project "to video game heaven."

What was said

EA executives Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO, said in a company statement, "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role‑playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly," as reported by Gizmodo.

How it came about

The shutdown follows EA’s recent privatization, a deal that transferred ownership to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, private‑equity firm Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, a vehicle linked to Jared Kushner. The company has been cutting costs across its portfolio, and the BioWare closure marks the most high‑profile studio loss since the sale.

Key facts

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3% of its workforce. (gizmodo.com)
Around 50 of the laid‑off employees work at BioWare, which is being shut down. (independent.co.uk)
The upcoming Mass Effect game, the fifth in the series, has been cancelled. (independent.co.uk)
EA’s recent privatization involved a $55 billion sale to Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners. (independent.co.uk)
EA executives Cam Weber and David Tinson said the decision was not taken lightly. (gizmodo.com)