EA shuts down BioWare and cuts 400 jobs, months after Saudi-led buyout

EA is closing BioWare and ending early development on the next Mass Effect. The closure comes with around 400 layoffs, per Bloomberg. The cuts follow the $55bn leveraged buyout, the biggest in history. Lender-backed cost targets now steer EA toward repeatable franchises and live-service titles. Peers including Larian, Remedy, Owlcat and Telltale publicly mourned the closure.

The $55bn deal was the biggest leveraged buyout in history.
Stakeholders include Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners.
Billions in debt financed the buyout.
The BBC, as cited by PC Gamer, put EA's resulting debt at $20 million.
EA's $700m cost-cut pledge included $170m in organizational efficiencies, per Bloomberg.
BioWare's team was reportedly about 50 people.
That team accounts for around 12.5% of the 400 layoffs.
CEO Andrew Wilson's stock converted to an estimated $105.9m cash payout.
President Laura Miele received $44.4m.
CFO Stuart Canfield received $33.4m.

"Today, we're the number one publisher in Western HD gaming." - Cam Weber, Chief Studios Officer, and David Tinson, COO, EA staff memo
The memo sets three priorities: deepen the core, expand reach and transform the business.
EA will invest heavily in Apex Legends and continue Battlefield.
EA will also continue EA Sports FC, Madden and its other annual sports franchises.
The keep list adds Project Gridiron, an open-world football title.
The keep list also adds a revived Fight Night.
Licensed bets include a likely Star Wars: Battlefront 3, Star Wars Jedi 3 and Marvel's Iron Man.
Skate stays funded, but Full Circle moves to a smaller, more focused team.
Some Full Circle developers have already reported layoffs on LinkedIn.

Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard all missed fan and financial expectations.
EA cancelled the next Mass Effect while it was still in early development.
The memo called BioWare a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre.
The same memo said EA does not take the decision lightly.
Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider said the series was a poor match for EA.
Gaider added that EA preferred Mass Effect of the two franchises.
Series architects Casey Hudson, Mark Darrah and Mac Walters had left BioWare years earlier.
BioWare's Edmonton studio closes after roughly 30 years of RPG development.
Maxis paused Project Lotus and shifted the team to Project Evergreen for The Sims.
"My role as senior creative director of The Sims was impacted by today's restructuring." - Anna Huerta, Senior Creative Director, Maxis

"It's almost unimaginable that we're now entering an era were the name BioWare won't show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs." - Swen Vincke, CEO, Larian
Remedy, Owlcat and Telltale also posted public support for BioWare.
It is unclear whether EA tried to sell BioWare or any of its IPs.
IGN reports Amazon's Mass Effect TV show is still going ahead as planned.
The Mass Effect IP therefore retains an active transmedia project despite the game cancellation.

For Publishers & Developers: Recruit displaced senior RPG and life-sim leads before rival publishers absorb them.
For Investors & VC: Target seed rounds at new studios founded by laid-off BioWare and Maxis veterans.
For Service Vendors: Pitch co-dev capacity to Full Circle's smaller Skate team to fill roadmap gaps.