EA closes BioWare and ends Mass Effect development, with about 400 jobs cut, Bloomberg reports

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age. In a post dated October 21, 2026, EA said a small BioWare team had been in early development on Mass Effect and that "we've made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we're closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace."

What EA confirmed, and what it did not

EA's post confirms three things: BioWare is closing, including its Edmonton workspace; early Mass Effect development is ending; and some employees across the company are directly affected. EA said it will help affected employees look for other roles inside the company.

The post gives no headcount and no closing date. The wider numbers come from Bloomberg, as relayed by The Next Web. Bloomberg reported about 400 job cuts across EA, roughly 3% of its staff, with about 50 of them at BioWare, citing a person familiar with the plans. We could not confirm those figures against an EA filing or statement, so treat them as reported, not confirmed.

The same reporting says a Sims project code-named Project Lotus was cancelled and that the team behind the skateboarding game skate will shrink. EA's post, as we read it, does not mention either. Bloomberg also quoted an internal letter from EA's chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber: "Over the past several months, we've taken a hard look at our business."

The ownership backdrop

EA went private in August in a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, according to the reporting. Bloomberg put the debt added to EA's books at about $18 billion. EA is no longer listed, so there is no stock price to chart and no public quarterly filing to check these cuts against. That is a real change for anyone tracking the company: restructuring now surfaces through company posts and leaks, not 8-Ks.

What to watch

• Whether EA gives an official headcount or severance terms. Edmonton's closure may trigger Alberta notice requirements, which we have not checked.
• Whether more cuts follow. Reports describe BioWare's earlier shrinkage after Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales targets, but we found no sales figures from EA.
• Whether the Mass Effect franchise continues under another EA studio. EA's post, as read, only says the early BioWare work is ending.

Sources: EA, "Building EA's Next Chapter," October 21, 2026; Bloomberg News reporting via The Next Web, October 21, 2026. Photo: Richard Cabrera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. This is business news, not investment advice.