EA is closing BioWare and the company's Edmonton workspace after deciding not to move forward with early development on Mass Effect, which a small BioWare team had been working on. The company calls BioWare a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre and says it did not take the decision lightly. In November 2025, Mass Effect executive producer Mike Gamble wrote for N7 Day that the next Mass Effect game was in development and that the team was, at the time, focused exclusively on it.
EA told employees in the memo announcing the closure that it will put its teams, technology and investment behind three priorities: deepening its core franchises, reaching more players across new platforms, markets and business models, and using its experience and sports relationships to create new ways for fans to engage, with investments it says will scale only when they show real potential. Saying no to some things it is passionate about, EA said, lets it give its biggest opportunities everything they need to succeed.
EA says it is the number one publisher in Western HD gaming, while players have more choices than ever, competition is intensifying and some of its biggest growth opportunities lie beyond the markets, platforms and business models where it has traditionally been strongest.
| Team or project | What EA decided |
|---|---|
| BioWare | Studio and Edmonton workspace close; early Mass Effect work stops |
| Project Lotus (The Sims) | Development paused so the team can prioritize Project Evergreen |
| Respawn and DICE | Studios collaborate on a future project in EA's Shooters business, alongside future Battlefield titles |
| skate. | Smaller, more focused studio team working to a defined roadmap |
In action-adventure, which EA calls one of the most competitive and high-stakes genres, the company is continuing with two launches, Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game, and after those will concentrate on fewer simultaneous, large-scale projects. EA calls Battlefield 6 a great success and plans to apply what it learned from that launch across its shooter portfolio, and it is investing in Apex over the next few years with new multiplayer modes and other experiences.
EA Sports has two new projects in development that EA says it will talk about over the next few months, among them Project Gridiron, a social-first open-world experience for its American football team, and EA is in pre-production on a return of Fight Night. For skate., EA says it has brought many players into the game and now needs to keep them engaged over the long term, so a smaller, more focused team will work to a clear roadmap that it believes will build a healthier and more sustainable business. Affected employees will be offered support in exploring other roles inside EA, and the company plans to discuss the direction at its Global Town Hall in November.
