EA Shuts Down BioWare, Declares Itself 'Proud' to Be Top Western HD Publisher

Did you hear that EA just closed BioWare? The studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age is shutting down, and EA's response is basically a shrug and a victory lap.

In a joint statement to employees, EA COO David Tinson and CSO Cam Weber said, "Today, we're the number one publisher in Western HD gaming. That's an extraordinary position to lead from, and one we should be proud of." That's a bold claim, especially when you consider the studio graveyard EA has built. BioWare, a legend since 1995, gets one short paragraph in the announcement. EA says it had a small team working on early-development Mass Effect, but decided not to move forward, closing the studio and its Edmonton workspace. "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly," the statement reads. But actions speak louder than words, right?

Instead, EA is doubling down on EA Sports, shooters from Respawn and DICE, and action-adventure games like Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game. The Sims' mystery Project Lotus is "pausing development," and Skate's studio is making changes to create a "more focused, smaller team"—which sounds like more layoffs. EA says this is all part of taking "a hard look at our business" and focuses on three pillars: "Deepen Our Core, Expand Our Reach, Transform Our Business." In other words, they're betting big on their biggest franchises and new markets like Asia.

"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," EA leaders insist. But with a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and promises of "no immediate changes" to jobs, you have to wonder what "immediate" really means. Will you be picking up the next Mass Effect? Probably not, because it's not happening. What do you think about EA's direction? Let us know in the comments.