EA to close BioWare, lay off 400 employees and merge Respawn with DICE

Electronic Arts announced that its BioWare studio will be closed, resulting in the layoff of roughly 400 staff members, including the Edmonton office. The company also said it has halted early development on a planned Mass Effect sequel. In a separate move, Respawn and DICE will be merged to collaborate on the next Star Wars: Battlefront installment, according to multiple sources. EA presidents Cam Weber and David Tinson said the changes are part of a realignment toward shooters, action‑adventure titles and sports games, citing recent successes with Battlefield 6 and upcoming projects such as Apex Legends, Marvel’s Iron Man and a new Star Wars Jedi game.