BioWare is closing and early work on the next Mass Effect has been stopped, removing the series’ long awaited return from EA’s current plans. The studio confirmed the move in an official statement on 21 October, as its parent company outlined a reorganisation of investments and projects.
What the closure means for EA’s slate
EA also confirmed that the Edmonton headquarters is shutting, saying a small team had been on the project before the decision not to continue it. The publisher’s plans for Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game carry on, with attention narrowed to fewer large adventure projects at once.
The decision goes further than the staffing change we covered when BioWare was moved onto Battlefield: it ends both the studio and the project underway. The statement does not surrender the Mass Effect rights or rule out a future return, and carries no detail on what happens to the name now.
