Schreier Explained Why EA Shut Down BioWare and Canceled Mass Effect 5
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier linked the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 to Electronic Arts' decision to prioritize an unannounced Star Wars Battlefront 3. According to his data, the company could not simultaneously fund two expensive sci-fi action games.
EA's management considered Star Wars Battlefront 3 from DICE and Respawn Entertainment a less risky and more predictable project than Mass Effect 5. As Schreier asserts, the development of each of the two games would have required hundreds of millions of dollars, and the company chose to focus on the shooter.
According to Schreier, BioWare's unsuccessful releases also influenced the decision. Mass Effect: Andromeda was mocked, Anthem received a negative reaction, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard performed 50% worse than expected.
An additional factor was changes in EA's leadership: Cam Weber and David Tinson, previously from EA Sports, were promoted in the summer, while Laura Miele, a supporter of BioWare and Mass Effect, was sidelined. Schreier also connected the studio's closure to the overall growth in game budgets, lagging sales, and the reduction of tens of thousands of jobs in the gaming industry over the past three years.
