EA Shuts Down BioWare, Cancels Mass Effect, Pauses Sims Game

Did you hear the news? EA just dropped a bombshell: BioWare is closing, the next Mass Effect is canceled, and a new Sims game is on hold. It's a lot to take in, so let's break down what happened on October 21.

First, the layoffs. EA confirmed it made the "difficult" choice to cut about 400 jobs, according to Bloomberg. Affected staff will be treated with "care and respect," and some may find new roles within EA. But it's a tough blow for the teams behind some of your favorite franchises.

BioWare, the legendary studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is shutting down after more than 30 years. The studio had fewer than 100 employees, and they were working on the next Mass Effect—which is now canceled. EA called BioWare "a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre" and said the decision wasn't taken lightly. Fans and industry pros have been sharing heartfelt messages, including CD Projekt's Michal Nowakowski, who said, "Very sad for the people affected, but also sad to see a legendary brand go down."

Another casualty: Project Lotus, the codename for a new Sims game, has been paused. Instead, EA is focusing on Project Evergreen, another Sims project—though details remain under wraps. Given how huge The Sims is, fans are definitely eager for more.

Skate is also getting scaled back. The new Skate game, released in 2025, will stay online, but EA is cutting staff to create a "more focused, smaller team" with a "very clear roadmap" for a "healthier and more sustainable business."

On the brighter side, EA Sports is going strong. A new social-first open-world football game, Project Gridiron, is in the works, and Fight Night is making a comeback after 15 years. Battlefield 6 was a "great success," and there's a new project from Respawn and DICE—rumored to be Star Wars: Battlefront. Apex Legends will also get continued "heavy investment." Plus, Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game are still in development.

All of this comes after EA's $55 billion leveraged buyout by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners—the largest LBO in business history. With debt to service, cuts were expected. As Mat Piscatella of Circana put it, "Leveraged buyouts have a certain history that generally hasn't been great for the acquired companies."

What do you think about these changes? Are you sad to see BioWare go? Let us know in the comments!