EA announced on October 21 that it was cancelling the next Mass Effect and shutting down BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect Legendary Edition, after choosing to back Star Wars: Battlefront 3 instead. Executives saw Battlefront 3 as the less risky investment.
Two expensive sci-fi projects, one budget
Both games were projected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. EA's leadership reportedly decided it could afford to back only one, putting BioWare's next RPG in direct competition with a licensed Star Wars shooter.
The financial backdrop matters. A $55 billion leveraged buyout by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund left EA carrying $18 billion in debt, adding pressure to its spending decisions.
EA's reported choice fits its greater comfort with shooter games than RPGs, while BioWare had spent roughly five years teasing the next Mass Effect.
BioWare had already been cut back
Around 50 BioWare employees were working on the next Mass Effect after earlier staffing reductions following Dragon Age: The Veilguard. That game missed EA's sales expectations by 50%, adding to commercial disappointments that included Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem.
BioWare also reportedly lost influence inside EA. Senior executive Laura Miele, who had advocated for the studio, was sidelined as EA Sports veterans David Tinson and Cam Weber were promoted. The reported funding choice followed both poor sales and a weakening position within management.
The shutdown formed part of a wider round of EA layoffs reportedly expected to eliminate 400 jobs, or 3% of its workforce.
Amazon's Mass Effect TV series remains in development for Prime Video. For a return to the original trilogy, browse the Mass Effect Legendary Edition guide collection.
