EA closes BioWare and cancels next Mass Effect game
Electronic Arts is closing Canadian studio BioWare and cancelling its next Mass Effect game, the publisher confirmed on Wednesday, 21 October, as part of a restructuring that cuts about 400 jobs following its $55 billion buyout.
TL;DR
- EA confirmed on 21 October that BioWare is closing and its early-stage Mass Effect game is cancelled.
- About 400 EA jobs are being cut, roughly 3% of staff, including about 50 at BioWare.
- The Prime Video Mass Effect series is reportedly still in development.
- UK viewers can access Prime Video through Amazon Prime at £8.99 a month.
What EA and BioWare confirmed
BioWare announced the closure in a social media post on Wednesday. According to VGC, the studio wrote that “BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.”
EA chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber set out the cuts in a staff letter seen by Bloomberg. Tinson and Weber reportedly told employees that EA had spent months reviewing its business.
Roughly 50 of the 400 job losses are at BioWare, according to the same VGC report. Variety reports that EA will also close BioWare’s Edmonton office in Canada.
400 jobs cut, about 3% of EA’s workforce
Source: Bloomberg, via VGC
Why EA is cutting now
The closure arrives two months after EA completed its sale to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, per VGC. The leveraged buyout left EA with about $18 billion in debt, and the company said earlier this year it would save $700 million through cuts.
Variety describes the restructuring as EA’s first major move since going private. GameSpot notes that Affinity Partners and Silver Lake joined the investor consortium.
The next Mass Effect was first teased in 2020. According to PC Gamer, BioWare said in 2025 that a core team was still working on it after earlier layoffs.
Elsewhere in the restructuring, Variety says Respawn and DICE will team up on Star Wars: Battlefront 3.
What happens to Mass Effect and Dragon Age
Dexerto reports that EA has not said what happens to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises beyond this cancellation. The games’ future is therefore unclear.
The Amazon TV adaptation looks safer. GameSpot reports, citing IGN, that a source says the key creatives on the Prime Video project remain signed on.
Showrunner Doug Jung and writer Daniel Casey are both attached. GameSpot says that group would seemingly include Mike Gamble, BioWare’s project director, despite his layoff.
The series is set after the events of the original trilogy, according to Yahoo Entertainment. Insider Gaming reports that no release date or window has been announced.
How UK viewers can watch the Mass Effect series
Prime Video is the likely home for UK audiences. Amazon UK lists Prime membership at £8.99 a month, or £95 a year, which includes Prime Video.
The streamer has a growing slate of game adaptations. Recent coverage on this site includes Dave Bautista’s casting as Kratos in God of War and the Life is Strange series casting.
For fans, the series may now be the only new Mass Effect on the horizon. Casey’s writing room has been working since 2025, but Amazon has not commented publicly on the closure.
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
Abi has been writing about gaming, sports, puzzles, and UK entertainment since 2019. She covers everything from game reviews and festival previews to your daily Wordle hints — always from a British perspective.
