EA reportedly closed BioWare because it was forced to choose between Mass Effect 5 and Star Wars Battlefront 3
Electronic Arts shut down BioWare and canceled its next Mass Effect game following a strategic decision to prioritize Star Wars: Battlefront 3 instead. According to a Bloomberg report, EA faced a financial crossroads after being forced to choose between funding two expensive sci-fi action games, each projected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
EA opted to invest in the Star Wars franchise, which was deemed a “less risky, more predictable bet” compared to Mass Effect 5. The decision reflects the company’s financial pressures following a $55 billion leveraged buyout by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which saddled EA with approximately $18 billion in debt.
Notably, Star Wars: Battlefront 3 has not yet been officially announced and is not currently in development. The decision is particularly ironic given that EA canceled a Star Wars shooter from Respawn Entertainment just two years earlier, citing a desire to move away from licensed game franchises. The publisher’s abrupt reversal in strategy—pivoting back to a licensed property when facing financial constraints—underscores how economic pressures can override previous strategic commitments.
BioWare, a legendary RPG studio with over 30 years of history responsible for acclaimed franchises including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, becomes another casualty in EA’s portfolio restructuring.
Sources
- EA reportedly closed BioWare because it was forced to choose between Mass Effect 5 and Star Wars Battlefront 3
- Report: EA shut down BioWare in favor of Star Wars: Battlefront sequel after previously decrying licensed games
- EA Reportedly Chose An Unannounced Star Wars Game Over BioWare’s Next Mass Effect
- Mass Effect 5 and BioWare Reportedly Died So Star Wars Battlefront 3 Could Live
- New Mass Effect Was Canceled in Favor of Star Wars: Battlefront 3
- EA reportedly canned BioWare and Mass Effect 5 to make a new Star Wars: Battlefront instead
- We Finally Know What Killed Mass Effect
- Report: EA Bet On Star Wars Battlefront III Success, Cancelled Mass Effect Was Too ‘Risky’
- New Mass Effect Cancelled So EA Can Focus on Star Wars Battlefront 3
- EA execs choosing Star Wars Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5 was the main factor in BioWare’s demise, according to report
- EA chose to shut down BioWare so it could make Star Wars Battlefront 3 instead, it’s claimed