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BioWare shuts down, cancelling Mass Effect 5, cutting 50 jobs

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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BioWare shut down, cutting 50 jobs as part of 400 layoffs.
Co-founder Greg Zeschuk said EA’s $55 billion Saudi-linked private buyout was the final nail in BioWare’s coffin.
The studio’s closure cancelled the planned Mass Effect 5, internally titled “Mass Effect: Universe.”
Zeschuk said the loss hurts Edmonton, where BioWare once symbolized local hope and possibility.
Composer Austin Wintory released 22 minutes of Mass Effect music to lobby for the sequel.

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BioWare shut down, cutting 50 jobs as part of 400 layoffs.
Co-founder Greg Zeschuk said EA’s $55 billion Saudi-linked private buyout was the final nail in BioWare’s coffin.
The studio’s closure cancelled the planned Mass Effect 5, internally titled “Mass Effect: Universe.”
Zeschuk said the loss hurts Edmonton, where BioWare once symbolized local hope and possibility.
Composer Austin Wintory released 22 minutes of Mass Effect music to lobby for the sequel.