Mass Effect and Dragon Age maker BioWare is closing down after more than 30 years as an RPG powerhouse.
In a statement posted online today, studio leadership confirmed that BioWare "is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending."
The announcement comes not long after EA was acquired by private investors led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in a deal that sparked concerns of closures and layoffs exactly like this.
"There is nothing easy about writing those words," BioWare's statement reads. "Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition."
The post singles out some of the series that modern fans, who might know BioWare as the house of Dragon Age and Mass Effect (and Anthem that one time), may not be familiar with: "Baldur's Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic."
"What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember," the statement continues. "These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own."
Bloomberg reports that around 400 people will be laid off as a result of new cuts. Internal remarks from EA COO David Tinson and CSO Cam Weber reportedly indicate that the publisher will look to cut additional people and projects in the near future.
BioWare had been in a slump for years, and Anthem, a mech suit live-service shooter, was only part of it. The studio's latest release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, fell short of EA's expectations by "nearly 50%" after a protracted development process complicated by internal pivots and reboots that notably saw BioWare, a single-player specialist, briefly forced into live-service territory. Anthem, a colossal failure both commercially and critically, also siphoned off staff during production.
In a similar vein, former BioWare lead Mark Darrah attributes The Veilguard's failure to unreasonable expectations put on the studio by EA.
Last month, it was reported that EA's new owners are considering merging the publisher into a new corporation that would front games for Saudi Arabia, attached to previously acquired mobile giant Scopely.
