EA Closed BioWare To Fund A New STAR WARS Battlefront
Electronic Arts announced on October 22 that it is closing BioWare.
1 source 2m ago
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
Why it matters
The studio's fate turned less on Mass Effect's prospects than on EA's debt load and its read of which franchise promise a lender-backed balance sheet could justify.
Key Facts
- EA announced on October 22 that it is closing BioWare, the Canadian studio it acquired in 2007.
- Sources told Bloomberg that EA prioritized a new STAR WARS Battlefront entry over the new Mass Effect BioWare was developing.
- Development on the new STAR WARS Battlefront had not begun when EA made the decision, according to the report.
- EA completed a leveraged buyout in August by a Saudi government fund and U.S. private equity firms, leaving it with about $18 billion in debt.
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released in November 2024, reached player numbers of about half of expectations, according to the report.
Sources speaking to Bloomberg said EA weighed a new STAR WARS Battlefront entry, expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, against the new Mass Effect that BioWare was developing, and chose Battlefront. EA carried roughly $18 billion in debt after an August leveraged buyout by a Saudi government fund and U.S. private equity firms.
Bloomberg's source ties the choice to talks EA recently held with Lucasfilm, which opened the chance for a new Battlefront. Development on that game had not begun, yet it was judged the more promising investment. The same source points to BioWare's recent record: Mass Effect: Andromeda drew criticism over bugs in 2017, Anthem drew harsh reviews in 2019, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard in 2024 reached player numbers of about half of expectations.
EA's preference for multiplayer shooters and sports titles also sat badly with a studio built on single-player RPGs. That mismatch decided the call once the debt arrived.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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