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Electronic Arts shut down BioWare on October 21, 2026, ending the studio's more than 30-year run and cancelling the in-development Mass Effect 5, months after EA itself was bought by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for $55 billion. BioWare posted a statement confirming the closure and thanking fans, with reports indicating roughly 50 of the studio's staff were laid off as part of a wider 400-job cut across EA. The news prompted an outpouring of reaction from former Mass Effect 5 writers, Star Wars: The Old Republic fans and industry figures mourning what many called the greatest RPG studio ever. CD Projekt's boss paid tribute to BioWare for letting it use the Aurora Engine on the original Witcher, former executive producer Mark Darrah speculated EA may now be more willing to sell off IPs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and IGN reported the Mass Effect television series remains active at Amazon's Prime Video despite the game studio's demise.