In an employee announcement published on October 21, EA confirmed that BioWare and its Edmonton workspace are closing. The small team working on early development for the next Mass Effect will also stop work on that project.
The decision ends the studio’s operations rather than simply reducing its headcount or revising one game’s production schedule. EA framed the closure as part of a wider effort to concentrate its people and investment on larger growth opportunities.
BioWare says goodbye after more than three decades
For players, BioWare is closely associated with the adventures of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, where dialogue choices and relationships between characters help shape the experience. Its closure brings an end to a creative chapter that built lasting connections between the development team and its audience.
In its own farewell published the same day, BioWare reflected on more than 30 years of making games. It thanked players for exploring its worlds, debating their choices and becoming attached to its characters. The studio said its immediate focus was supporting its team through the transition.
Early development on Mass Effect ends
EA confirmed that the next Mass Effect was still in early development when it decided to stop the project. The game BioWare’s team was working on will therefore not proceed under the current plan. The announcement does not declare a permanent end to either the Mass Effect or Dragon Age franchise.
EA said it would support affected employees in finding opportunities elsewhere within the company. That describes the assistance being offered, rather than a guarantee that every team member will move to another role.
EA plans fewer simultaneous large projects
BioWare’s closure is part of broader changes at EA. In action-adventure games, the company is continuing work on Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi, while planning to concentrate on fewer large-scale projects at once beyond those releases.
EA also said Respawn and DICE would collaborate on a future project. These changes provide context for its investment strategy, but the immediate consequence for BioWare fans is clear: the next Mass Effect project has stopped alongside the studio’s closure.
Sources: EA — Building EA’s Next Chapter · BioWare — BioWare Update. Image credit: EA / BioWare. Checked October 28, 2026.
