The studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age is shutting down, and the next Mass Effect is over. The series was born on Xbox, and now is the moment to bring it back.
On October 21, BioWare confirmed in a post on its official blog that “BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.” The studio thanked players for more than 30 years of games, from Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
The closure is part of a wider restructuring at Electronic Arts. Reuters reported that EA told employees it will close BioWare’s studio in Edmonton, Canada, and cancel the early-stage Mass Effect project. Bloomberg reported about 400 job cuts across EA, roughly 3% of staff, including about 50 at BioWare. EA says it will focus on fewer large action-adventure games while continuing Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game. The BBC adds that EA is also working on a social football game code-named Project Gridiron and in early stages of reviving Fight Night.
This comes a couple of months after EA closed its $55 billion sale to a group led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, a deal the BBC says left EA with about $20 billion in debt. BioWare’s most recent games, Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024, drew mixed reviews and did not meet expectations, per the Associated Press.
Xbox fans remember where this started. The original Mass Effect launched in 2007 as an Xbox 360 exclusive published by Microsoft, Jade Empire was a Microsoft-published Xbox exclusive, and Knights of the Old Republic debuted on the original Xbox. EA bought BioWare in 2007.
There is no word from Microsoft or EA on the future of the Mass Effect, Dragon Age or Jade Empire rights.
First, respect to the roughly 50 people at BioWare who lost their jobs. That part hurts. But Mass Effect cannot just die on a shelf. This is the opening for Asha to go get the Mass Effect IP and treat it the way Halo is being treated right now: build a purpose-made team of talented people who love this series and let them bring back what BioWare used to be. Xbox was there for the games that made BioWare legendary, and Asha has shown she listens to the fans. Even a simple “we bought it and we will not let it die” would mean a lot. Bring it home.
Sources
- BioWare Blog: BioWare Update
- Reuters via Investing.com: EA to shutter BioWare studio, cut jobs
- BBC: BioWare: Mass Effect and Dragon Age video game studio to close
- The Globe and Mail (AP): Electronic Arts shuts down Edmonton’s BioWare
Image: BioWare
