EA reportedly closed BioWare to prioritize Star Wars: Battlefront
Bloomberg reporting ties the resource shift to financial pressure and internal politics, as Mass Effect: Universe was cancelled.
EA closed BioWare and cancelled Mass Effect: Universe to redirect resources toward a new Star Wars: Battlefront title, according to Bloomberg reporting covered by Game Developer. The cancellation left BioWare without active projects.
Bloomberg links the decision to financial pressure following EA's leveraged buyout, which left the company with $18 billion in debt. It also suggests internal politics played a role, including the sidelining of Laura Miele, a supporter of BioWare and Mass Effect.
For development teams, the reported shift illustrates how financing pressures and executive support can affect project survival. It also follows another studio closure: EA cancelled its open-world Black Panther game and shut down Cliffhanger Games 18 months earlier. An Iron Man game remains in development.
- studio closures
- project cancellations
- corporate strategy
