Electronic Arts to close BioWare as studio overhaul brings layoffs
EA’s October 21 restructuring also calls for a smaller Skate team and a Respawn–DICE collaboration. Variety reports that layoffs will affect about 3% of the workforce.
Electronic Arts plans to close BioWare’s Edmonton studio and cut jobs as part of a studio restructuring outlined to employees on October 21, according to Variety. The changes also affect teams working on Skate and The Sims, while Respawn and DICE are set to collaborate on a future project.
Variety reported that the layoffs will affect about 3% of EA’s global workforce. It estimated roughly 400 jobs using the company’s last reported workforce of 14,500; the full number of affected employees and the timing of the cuts were not specified.
What changes at BioWare and other EA studios
In the employee memo reproduced by Variety, EA said it had decided to stop early development of a new Mass Effect title and would close BioWare and its Edmonton workspace. The decision ends the studio’s work on that title before it advances beyond early development.
The memo also described a smaller, more focused team for Skate. In The Sims portfolio, EA said it would pause development of Project Lotus to prioritize Project Evergreen. Those decisions redirect work across several established game teams, rather than affecting BioWare alone.
EA said employees affected by the changes would receive support in exploring other opportunities within the company. The memo said the company was committed to treating them with care and respect; it did not set out how many employees might move to other roles.
What is known about the Respawn–DICE project
The memo said Respawn and DICE would work together on a future project without naming it. Variety reported that multiple unnamed sources identified it as Star Wars: Battlefront 3. EA’s stated plan establishes the collaboration; the game’s identity rests on Variety’s unnamed sources.
The memo described Battlefield 6 as a success and said EA planned to keep investing in Apex Legends, including new multiplayer modes and other experiences. Those plans sit alongside the studio closures and scaled-back work announced in the same restructuring.
Variety attributed the employee memo to Cam Weber and David Tinson. In a June leadership announcement, EA identified Weber as president and chief studios officer and Tinson as president and chief experiences officer at that time. Their earlier appointments provide context for the executives behind the October studio decisions.
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Sources and context
- Electronic Arts Laying Off 3% of Employees in Studios Restructuring: BioWare Shutting Down, Respawn and DICE to Team on ‘Star Wars: Battlefront 3’Variety
- Electronic Arts Announces Leadership UpdatesElectronic Arts
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.