EA shut down BioWare to focus on the development of Star Wars: Battlefront 3 amid financial pressure, according to a new report.
According to Bloomberg investigative journalist Jason Schreier, the decision to shut down BioWare came as EA faced mounting financial pressure following its 55 billion US Dollar leveraged buyout, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which was finalized in August and left the publisher with approximately 18 billion US Dollars in debt.
As EA executives reviewed the company’s upcoming projects, they faced a choice between two expensive sci-fi franchises, namely Star Wars Battlefront 3 and the next Mass Effect game. Both titles were projected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop. Ultimately, executives decided to prioritize Star Wars: Battlefront 3, resulting in the closure of BioWare.
It’s worth noting that Star Wars: Battlefront 3 hasn’t yet entered development, while while BioWare’s next Mass Effect game had already been in the works. EA reportedly considered the former a less risky and more predictable investment over the latter. Schreier noted that EA, traditionally more comfortable with shooters than role-playing games, viewed the Star Wars franchise as a safer commercial opportunity.
BioWare’s declining commercial performance also contributed to the decision. Mass Effect: Andromeda faced criticism following its 2017 release, followed by Anthem becoming a major disappointment in 2019. More recently, despite receiving relatively positive critical reviews, Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed EA’s sales expectations by approximately 50%. The studio had already faced major layoffs in January, 2025, leaving a small team working on the next Mass Effect title. At the time of its closure, only around 50 employees remained at BioWare, with many having previously been transferred to other EA teams.
BioWare’s closure highlights how rising development budgets and unpredictable commercial returns are steering publishers towards prioritization of established franchises over riskier projects.
Earlier, it was reported that Disney had been in talks with with Bungie and DICE to work on Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Read about it here.
