EA shut down BioWare after more than 30 years of operation. The studio created Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Anthem.
Development on the next Mass Effect project is ending. EA's Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber said the decision was made to "align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth."
Across EA, 400 employees face layoffs. BioWare accounts for 50 of those cuts, according to Bloomberg.
EA cancelled The Sims project code-named Lotus and will prioritize a project called Evergreen instead. The publisher committed continued investment in sports games, Apex Legends, Battlefield, and the next Star Wars Jedi game. DICE and Respawn are collaborating on a new game, likely a Star Wars: Battlefront title.
Dragon Age: Veilguard underperformed after its launch. EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the game reached only 1.5 million players against a planned target of 3 million.
The shutdown follows EA's $55 billion leveraged buyout completed in August by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal took the publisher private and added substantial debt to the company's books.