BioWare games shutdown: No end to job cuts? What led to 400 layoffs at Electronic Arts? What official blog confirmed
Electronic Arts (EA) is shutting down BioWare, the acclaimed studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, the company announced in an internal memo to employees on Wednesday.
According to a Bloomberg report, the restructuring at the gaming giant will eliminate approximately 400 positions, equating to roughly 3% of EA's total workforce. Of those cuts, about 50 roles are at BioWare.
In the memo, Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber and Chief Operating Officer David Tinson wrote that “over the past several months, we've taken a hard look at our business.”
The company said that a small team at BioWare had been doing early groundwork on a new Mass Effect game, but EA ultimately chose to drop the effort.
That decision directly led to the closure of the studio and its workspace in Edmonton, the executives wrote. “We do not take this decision lightly,” Weber and Tinson said regarding the BioWare closure, according to a report by Variety.
The shutdown follows recent commercial struggles for the studio. According to Bloomberg, BioWare's latest title, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, fell short of sales expectations, which had already prompted EA to impose steep cuts at the developer last year.
In their latest blog post, titled ‘BioWare Update’, the studio confirmed the news, saying: “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,” it wrote. “Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.”
Read BioWare update blog: Click here
According to Bloomberg, EA became a private company in August through a $55 billion leveraged buyout spearheaded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The buyout deal left EA carrying approximately $18 billion in debt, Bloomberg reported.
Earlier this year, the company laid out a plan to investors to save as much as $700 million, achieved in part through reduced spending on research and development, according to the publication.
Despite the closures, the executives noted that EA will maintain its investment in Apex Legends and continue work on two upcoming launches: Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game.
EA's Respawn and DICE studios will also join forces on a new upcoming project, in addition to developing new Battlefield titles. Bloomberg noted that the joint project is likely a new instalment in the Star Wars: Battlefront franchise.
Other major franchises are also seeing strategic shifts. For The Sims, EA is pausing development on "Project Lotus" to prioritise a different initiative, "Project Evergreen," according to the memo. The executives also described plans to shrink the development team behind skate.in order to deliver a clear roadmap.
Meanwhile, the EA Sports division has two new titles in the works. The executives wrote that the company is developing an open-world American football game called "Project Gridiron" and is currently in pre-production on a long-awaited return to the Fight Night boxing franchise.
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