Sad news for all you RPG fans. Electronic Arts (EA) has officially shut down BioWare, the legendary studio behind the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. At the same time, the next Mass Effect project, which was still in the early stages of development, has also been canceled.
Based on reports from PC Gamer, this decision was announced on October 21, 2026. According to the report Bloomberg, EA also cut about 400 jobs company-wide.
The next Mass Effect has been canceled; the Edmonton studio has been shut down
In a letter to employees that was also published on EA's official website, the company explained that there had been a small team at BioWare working on *Mass Effect* in the early stages of development. EA decided not to continue that development, so the BioWare studio and its office in Edmonton were shut down.
EA called BioWare a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and emphasized that this decision was not made lightly. According to EA, “saying no to some things we’re passionate about allows us to focus our teams and resources so we give our biggest opportunities everything they need to succeed.” The letter was signed by EA’s Chief Studios Officer, Cam Weber, and EA’s COO, David Tinson.
The next Mass Effect was first teased in 2020 and is expected to bring back characters from the original trilogy. In 2025, BioWare mentioned that “a core team at BioWare” was still working on the game following a round of layoffs at the studio.
BioWare's Long Journey
BioWare was founded in 1995 by three doctors: Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. The studio has produced many classic games, ranging from the original Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series.
After establishing a strong reputation in the PC gaming world during the ’90s and early 2000s, BioWare was acquired by EA in 2007. Since then, BioWare has become a mainstream RPG giant through the Mass Effect trilogy and the first Dragon Age games.
However, the past few years haven’t gone smoothly. *Mass Effect: Andromeda* (2017) wasn’t as well-received as the original trilogy, and *Anthem* (2019), a live-service shooter from BioWare, failed to attract players. *Anthem*“s servers were even permanently shut down earlier this year. BioWare’s latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), was also described by EA as having ”underperformed.”.
A farewell message from BioWare
This closure comes after the acquisition of EA by a consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners was finalized last August. Ever since the deal was announced last year, a number of employees and observers have expressed doubts about BioWare’s future. One employee even said the studio’s closure was just “a matter of time.”.
In a statement on social media, BioWare shared a farewell message for its players: “What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own.”
Which BioWare game has left the biggest impression on you?
