Dragon Age and Mass Effect developer BioWare is being shut down by Electronic Arts amidst a series of new job cuts, with development of the new Mass Effect game cancelled as a result.
The developer shared the following message on its social media accounts and blog, revealing the new Mass Effect was in ‘early development,’ which is curious considering it was announced six years ago.
For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life. Baldur’s Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem. Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.
There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition. What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember.
These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own. From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story.
Back in January this year, BioWare revealed it was hiring for a production director on the new Mass Effect, confirming the new title was still in the pipeline despite the studio not having shared much of anything on the project. BioWare’s closure comes just a few weeks before the company’s annual N7 Day celebrations for the Mass Effect franchise, where it was expected new details on the game would be revealed.
In January last year, BioWare General Manager Gary McKay revealed that the studio was in the process of downsizing and putting all its focus on the new Mass Effect game following completion of 2024’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
[Source – BioWare Blog]