EA to Close Bioware and Lay Off About 400 Employees

WHO:

Engadget - Electronic Arts (EA) is shutting down BioWare.

Engadget - EA is reducing Full Circle, the Skate studio, to “a more focused, smaller team.”

Techmeme - Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier reported on an EA source and leaked memo.

WHAT:

Yahoo Finance - EA said its workforce changes were intended to “deliver exceptional experiences for our players and to drive sustained growth.”

Defector - BioWare developed *Baldur’s Gate*, *Neverwinter Nights*, *Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic*, *Mass Effect*, and *Dragon Age*.

Defector - BioWare’s *Mass Effect* and *Dragon Age* games let players carry story decisions from one game to the next, building longer narratives.

Defector - *Mass Effect: Andromeda* received a poor response from gamers and critics, and *Anthem* was described as a major failure following a troubled development.

Yahoo Finance - EA’s franchises also include *Battlefield*, *Madden NFL*, and *Dead Space*.

Yahoo Finance - The EA memo said the company wanted to provide clarity and create conditions for teams to do their best work, giving each selected game its best chance to succeed.

Yahoo Finance - eBay CEO Jamie Iannone told staff the company planned to cut about 1,000 jobs, or 9% of its workforce; eBay had 12,300 employees at the end of the prior year and had cut about 800 jobs in February.

Yahoo Finance - EA’s employee memo identified three company priorities: “deepening its core, expanding its reach, and transforming the business.”

Yahoo Finance - The $55 billion buyout of EA involved Affinity Partners, Silver Lake, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Defector - BioWare’s remaining staff had fallen to roughly 50 by the time the studio closed, down from a peak of more than 400 and about 200 during development of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*.

Defector - BioWare’s closure followed *The Veilguard* sales falling short of EA’s internal projections; the game was well-received and sold well enough for an RPG but not enough to meet EA’s expectations.

Defector - BioWare’s fifth *Mass Effect* game, teased in 2020, was canceled.

Deadline - About 50 of the approximately 400 planned job cuts are at BioWare.

Sims Community - EA said it is prioritizing Project Evergreen for The Sims to give the team more time to develop the game’s vision and potential.

Sims Community - EA’s memo referred to the paused Sims project as “Project Lotus”; Sims Community said it is possibly an internal name for Project Rene, a multiplayer, mobile-first spinoff.

Sims Community - EA’s memo said its changes aim to align talent and investment with opportunities for players and long-term growth, and to support impacted employees in exploring other EA roles while treating them with care and respect.

Sims Community - EA said it would discuss its direction and upcoming work at its next Global Town Hall in November.

IJR - EA’s restructuring includes a review of its studio priorities and changes to other projects.

Engadget - EA is cutting around 400 jobs.

Engadget - EA has paused a Sims project.

Techmeme - EA plans to cut approximately 400 jobs, or about 3% of its total staff.

Techmeme - The next Mass Effect game will be canceled as part of the layoffs.

Techmeme - EA said it would lay off staff and shut down BioWare.

WHERE:

Yahoo Finance - EA is headquartered in San Jose, California.

WHEN:

Sims Community - An unnamed insider claimed Project Evergreen had a September 2027 deadline to go gold, and reported that Maxis believed it could meet the deadline.

The Source - BioWare had operated for 31 years before EA shut it down.

WHY:

Defector - BioWare’s decline followed *Mass Effect: Andromeda* and *Anthem* failing to restore the studio’s standing after *Dragon Age: Inquisition*.

Yahoo Finance - EA executives said they had reviewed how the company operates and what it would take to lead in the next era of interactive entertainment, and aimed to give each game EA chooses to build its best chance to succeed.

Defector - *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* sales shortfalls led to layoffs at BioWare before its closure.

Defector - EA executives said the company was making “deliberate choices to align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth.”

Deadline - EA is focusing on projects it considers more lucrative.

HOW:

Sims Community - EA said it was pausing development on “Project Lotus” to give the team working on “Project Evergreen” more time to reach the game’s full potential and vision.

Sims Community - EA said Skate’s smaller team would follow a “very clear roadmap” aimed at keeping players engaged over the long term and building a healthier, more sustainable business.

IJR - EA plans to support affected employees in finding roles within the company.

Techmeme - The reported plans were based on a source and a leaked memo.

Techmeme - EA went private in August following a $55 billion leveraged buyout.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 13:17 UTC)

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, and shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The restructuring also reduces Skate developer Full Circle to a smaller team and pauses a Sims project. BioWare’s remaining staff had dwindled to about 50, and the studio’s closure follows sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard falling short of EA’s expectations. The next Mass Effect game has also been canceled. BioWare built its reputation with games that carried players’ story choices across installments, but later releases, including Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, struggled. EA says the changes will align teams and investment with its priorities and give selected games the best chance to succeed. The company says it will help affected employees explore other roles within EA.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 12:01 UTC)

Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare, cutting about 400 jobs and reducing its Skate studio, Full Circle, to a smaller team. The changes follow a review of EA’s projects and priorities, with executives saying they want to focus investment where they see the best opportunities for players and long-term growth. BioWare, which operated for 31 years, created major role-playing series including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, known for carrying player choices across games. But Mass Effect: Andromeda drew a poor response, Anthem struggled, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of EA’s sales expectations. About 50 of the planned job cuts are at BioWare, whose staff had dwindled to roughly 50 from a peak of more than 400. The next Mass Effect game has also been canceled. EA has paused a Sims project while prioritizing Project Evergreen, and says it will help affected employees explore other roles within the company.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 10:11 UTC)

Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare and cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, as part of a broad restructuring. The company is also reducing Skate developer Full Circle to a smaller team and has paused a Sims project. BioWare had shrunk from a peak of more than 400 employees to about 50 before closing, following sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard that fell short of EA’s expectations. The studio’s next Mass Effect game, teased in 2020, has also been canceled. EA says it is aligning staff and investment with its priorities and projects it sees as offering the strongest opportunities for players and long-term growth. The company plans to help affected employees explore other roles within EA. The changes follow EA’s $55 billion buyout, involving Silver Lake, Affinity Partners and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 08:03 UTC)

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3% of its workforce, and shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect. BioWare had operated for 31 years, but its staff had dwindled from more than 400 at its peak to around 50 by the time it closed. The studio’s closure followed sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard falling short of EA’s expectations, despite a positive reception and solid performance for a role-playing game. BioWare’s fifth Mass Effect game, teased in 2020, has also been canceled. EA is reducing Skate developer Full Circle to a smaller, more focused team and pausing a Sims project, while prioritizing another Sims project called Evergreen. The company says it will help affected employees explore other roles within EA. It plans to discuss its direction and upcoming work at a Global Town Hall in November.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 05:02 UTC)

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, and shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect. About 50 of the planned cuts are at BioWare, and the next Mass Effect game is also set to be canceled. EA is reducing Full Circle, the studio working on Skate, to a smaller, more focused team, while reviewing priorities across its studios and projects. The changes include pausing a Sims project, identified in a company memo as Project Lotus, and prioritizing Project Evergreen to give its team more time to develop the game. EA says it is focusing on projects with stronger opportunities for players and long-term growth, and will help affected employees explore other roles within the company. The company plans to discuss its direction and upcoming work at a Global Town Hall in November.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 02:10 UTC)

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3 percent of its workforce, and shutting down BioWare, the studio it owned for 31 years. The restructuring also reduces Skate developer Full Circle to a smaller, more focused team and pauses a Sims project. A leaked memo, described in a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, says the changes follow a review of studio priorities and aim to focus investment on player opportunities and long-term growth. The paused Sims project is called Project Lotus in the memo; it may be an internal name for Project Rene, a multiplayer, mobile-first spinoff. EA says it is prioritizing Project Evergreen to give the Sims team more time to develop its vision. The company says it will help affected employees explore other roles and discuss its direction at a Global Town Hall in November.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 23:13 UTC)

Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare and cutting about 400 jobs, roughly 3% of its workforce, in a broad restructuring. The company is also reducing Full Circle, the studio behind Skate, to a smaller, more focused team. The changes follow a review of EA’s studio priorities and other projects. They include pausing a Sims project and canceling the next Mass Effect game. BioWare had operated for 31 years before EA decided to close the studio. EA says it plans to help affected employees find other roles within the company. The reported details came from an EA source and a leaked memo. The restructuring comes after EA went private in August through a $55 billion leveraged buyout.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 21:18 UTC)

Electronic Arts is restructuring its studios and workforce, including shutting down BioWare and cutting about 400 jobs, or roughly 3 percent of its staff. The changes follow a review of the company’s studio priorities and affect several projects. EA is also reducing Full Circle, the studio behind Skate, to a smaller, more focused team, and has paused a Sims project. The next Mass Effect game is also set to be canceled as part of the cuts. EA says it plans to help affected employees find other roles within the company. The reported details came from a source and a leaked memo, as reported by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier. The restructuring comes after EA went private in August in a $55 billion leveraged buyout.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 20:18 UTC)

Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs, or roughly 3 percent of its workforce, and shutting down BioWare. The cuts are also expected to cancel the next Mass Effect game and pause a Sims project. EA is reducing Full Circle, the studio behind Skate, to what it described as a more focused, smaller team. The reported plans, including details about the layoffs and studio changes, were based on an EA source and a leaked memo reported by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. The company’s restructuring follows its move to private ownership in August, after a $55 billion leveraged buyout. The changes mark a broad pullback across several of EA’s game studios and projects, with BioWare set to close and other teams facing reductions.