Electronic Arts announced a strategic restructuring that includes laying off 3% of its workforce, shutting down BioWare, and uniting DICE and Respawn Entertainment to develop Star Wars: Battlefront 3.
Through an internal memo signed by Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO, the publisher outlined the operational shifts that will shape its immediate future following its transition to private ownership. The decision impacts around 400 employees out of a previously reported global base of 14,500 workers, heavily affecting projects in early production stages.
The closure of BioWare and the cancellation of the next Mass Effect
The most significant consequence of this restructuring is the complete closure of veteran studio BioWare and its headquarters in Edmonton, Canada. After more than three decades shaping the western role-playing genre through acclaimed series like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect, EA decided to pull the plug on the early development of the next sci-fi entry.
In a farewell statement on social media, the BioWare team thanked players for more than 30 years of shared adventures, branching story choices, and emotional bonds with memorable characters. Leadership explained that the publisher will now concentrate investments on fewer simultaneous large-scale action-adventure titles, stepping away from early concepts that do not fit its streamlined focus.
DICE and Respawn team up as EA outlines its future lineup
Within the shooter category, the corporate letter highlighted the commercial success of Battlefield 6 and promised to leverage those technical foundations. EA announced that DICE and Respawn Entertainment will collaborate directly on a major upcoming project. While the corporate memo refrained from naming it publicly, multiple industry sources confirmed to trade outlets that this joint effort is Star Wars: Battlefront 3 alongside Lucasfilm.
Respawn Entertainment will also continue supporting Apex Legends over the coming years with brand new multiplayer modes and universe expansions. Furthermore, EA reaffirmed its commitment to its scheduled single-player adventures: the upcoming Marvel's Iron Man release and the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi series.
The staff address detailed adjustments across several other creative teams. Under EA SPORTS, beyond long-term investments in the EA SPORTS FC ecosystem, the company is preparing two reveals: an open-world American football experience codenamed Project Gridiron, and the pre-production phase to revive the boxing franchise Fight Night after a 15-year hiatus. Finally, the lifestyle catalog will see targeted scope realignments. In The Sims, resources are shifting directly to Project Evergreen to realize its core design, which led to pausing development on Project Lotus. Meanwhile, the development group behind the upcoming Skate. will shrink to a leaner team dedicated to delivering its live-service content roadmap.