EA shuts down BioWare and cuts around 400 jobs

Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) announced a restructuring on Wednesday that includes closing BioWare, the studio behind the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, and laying off about 400 employees. According to Variety, that is around three percent of the company's workforce. The changes come after EA went private and its new owners loaded it with $20 billion of debt.

Closing BioWare

EA bought BioWare in 2007. The studio has struggled in recent years: Anthem, whose servers were shut down earlier this year, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard both failed to meet sales expectations. A small team had begun early work on the next Mass Effect game, but EA decided to cancel the project and close BioWare entirely, including its office in Edmonton, Alberta.

A memo from EA co-presidents Cam Weber and David Tinson calls BioWare a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre and says the decision was not taken lightly. EA said it will help affected employees explore other opportunities within the company.

Other changes

Cuts also hit Full Circle, the developer of Skate. The game has been in early access since September last year and, according to the memo, has brought in many players. Even so, the studio will become smaller and more focused to deliver a clear roadmap.

Maxis, the developer of The Sims, is pausing "Project Lotus" to put more resources into another initiative, "Project Evergreen." Respawn and Dice are collaborating on a new shooter, which Variety's sources say will be Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Dice developed the last two Battlefront games.

After Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game, EA says it will concentrate on fewer simultaneous large-scale action-adventure projects. EA Sports is bringing back the Fight Night series, while its American football team is working on a new open-world experience. The company plans to share more details in the coming months.