Electronic Arts (EA) has officially announced the closure of BioWare, the acclaimed development studio behind genre-defining RPG franchises including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, as part of a sweeping restructuring that eliminates approximately 400 jobs at EA across the publisher.
With the studio’s shuttering, early development on the highly anticipated next entry in the Mass Effect series has been officially cancelled.
https://t.co/TicSujMWps
— BioWare (@bioware) October 21, 2026
The End of an Era for Narrative RPGs
Founded over three decades ago, BioWare established itself as a premier storytelling powerhouse in the games industry, celebrated for landmark titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age.
In an emotional statement posted online, BioWare reflected on its legacy:
“Now, 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 positions eliminated across EA were based directly at BioWare.