EA has abruptly announced that it is shutting down BioWare and ending early development on the next "Mass Effect" game. BioWare followed the news with a farewell message reflecting on more than three decades of games and support from fans, adding that its immediate priority is helping employees affected by the closure navigate the transition. 
BioWare's full statement follows:
For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life.
Baldur's Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.
Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.
There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.
What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. 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.
From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story.
According to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg, EA Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber told employees that the company had spent the past several months taking a hard look at its business. EA plans to eliminate roughly 400 positions, representing about 3% of its workforce, including approximately 50 jobs at BioWare.
The move comes roughly two months after the completion of a $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The deal took EA private while saddling the company with approximately $18 billion in debt. Earlier this year, EA outlined plans to cut $700 million in spending.
BioWare was founded in 1995 by physicians Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk and acquired by EA in 2007. The studio built its reputation as a role-playing powerhouse with franchises including "Baldur's Gate," "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect," but struggled in recent years following the disappointing performance of "Anthem" and subsequent staff reductions.
The next "Mass Effect" was first announced in 2020, though BioWare shared few updates on the project afterward. When the studio downsized last year, EA said the restructuring followed the completion of "Dragon Age: The Veilguard," while franchise leadership maintained that the new game remained in development. With BioWare's closure now confirmed, the long-gestating project has officially come to an end.
via： Bloomberg