EA shuts BioWare and eliminates 400 positions
EA is cutting about 400 jobs, or 3% of its workforce, and closing BioWare. The company also canceled a new Mass Effect, paused development of a Sims project, and downsized the Skate team. EA described the changes as aligning talent and investments with its biggest opportunities.
EA's latest restructuring removes roughly 400 roles, about 3% of staff, continuing annual reductions that included 800 in 2023, 670 in 2024, and over 400 in 2025. The publisher is closing BioWare, the 1995-founded RPG house acquired in 2007, where about 50 staff were early on a new Mass Effect; that project is canceled.
EA also paused Project Lotus/Project Rene, a retooled mobile Sims effort, while Evergreen continues. Skate's team is shrinking, and DICE and Respawn will collaborate on a new title. The changes arrive amid rising development costs and EA's recent $55B take-private sale.
The cuts could affect hundreds of employees and their families, while fans of BioWare and Mass Effect may see beloved franchises stall or disappear. Studio closures may weaken local game-development ecosystems and reduce creative diversity. Because EA is focusing on fewer large projects, workers may face a tighter job market, though some teams could shift to remaining titles. The long-term cultural impact remains uncertain.