EA shuts down BioWare, cancels next Mass Effect game
Electronic Arts is closing BioWare's Edmonton studio and halting development of the next Mass Effect to focus on fewer large-scale projects.
Summary
EA announced it will close BioWare and cancel the in-development Mass Effect title following the company's recent sale. The publisher will concentrate on its confirmed upcoming action-adventure releases — Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game — then shift to fewer simultaneous large-scale projects. EA will continue investing in Battlefield, Apex Legends, EA SPORTS, The Sims and skate., though the skate. team is being downsized.
What EA is keeping and cutting
- BioWare's Edmonton workspace is closing; a small team had been in early development on Mass Effect
- Confirmed upcoming releases remain: Marvel's Iron Man and next Star Wars Jedi game
- Respawn and DICE studios will collaborate on a future shooter project
- skate. team reduced to a smaller, focused group; "Project Lotus" for The Sims paused while "Project Evergreen" continues
- New EA SPORTS projects include "Project Gridiron" (social-first open-world American Football) and Fight Night revival in pre-production
Why it matters
BioWare's closure ends a studio with deep roots in PC RPG development, including titles with native Linux releases and strong Proton compatibility in their back catalog. The cancellation removes a potential future test case for Linux gaming compatibility of a major Unreal Engine or EA title.
Original reference: www.gamingonlinux.com →