Newly Saudi-owned EA shuts down Bioware

[arthwollipot]

EA shuts down beloved studio BioWare, cuts 400 jobs, cancels new Mass Effect, Sims games

Electronic Arts is officially closing beloved studio BioWare (Mass Effect, Dragon Age), as well as cutting 400 jobs (representing 3% of its total staff), cancelling the long-in-development next Mass Effect game and cancelling an unannounced game in the Sims franchise, codenamed Project Lotus.

Around 50 staff from BioWare have reportedly been let go, and it’s believed that others around the business have also been impacted.

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Notably, these changes follow the privatisation of EA. It was purchased for USD $55 billion (AUD $78.3 billion) in late 2025 by a consortium of investors led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Affinity Partners’ Jared Kushner, with the deal finalised over the last few months.

 

[PitPat]

As if we need more reason to hate Saudi Arabia (and Jared Kushner).

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Most People have no clue of the size of the gaming industry. Kushner and the Saudis do.

What they don't know is the wrath and subsequent coordination Gamers can muster to punish a company that doesn't give them what they want at a price they can afford.

I will certainly never buy anything from EA anymore, and I know a couple of people who won't, either.

 

[Joe Random]

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my least favorite article on the internet ...

<sob>

 

[lionking]

If the Saudis think they can produce games more amenable to Saudi culture and the fans will just buy them, they will be mistaken. Bankrupt level mistaken.

 

[TragicMonkey]

If the Saudis think they can produce games more amenable to Saudi culture and the fans will just buy them, they will be mistaken. Bankrupt level mistaken.

It's just about making money.

 

[a_unique_person]

It's just about making money.

How can you make money by cancelling a product that makes money?

 

[TragicMonkey]

How can you make money by cancelling a product that makes money?

Was the product going to make more money than it cost to produce?

Bioware had been having serious problems for years, churning out games that were expensive to make but didn't return enough profit. It gambled on AAA games which disappointed (financially and gamewise) and shut down or lost to other studios the smaller but actually profitable games. (Like SWTOR, which survives this because it moved to Broadsword in 2023.)

 

[The Great Zaganza]

If the Saudis think they can produce games more amenable to Saudi culture and the fans will just buy them, they will be mistaken. Bankrupt level mistaken.

They have been into Sportswashing through electronic games for a while, hosting massive events.

No, this is actually a lot about making money, as oil is limited, entertainment is only growing, and gaming is already bigger than all other forms of entertainment combined.
The development cost of GTA6 was bigger than three times the cost of making ALL Marvel Movies.

Owning a big chunk of the gaming industry could replace oil revenue.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Players Alliance HQ: Fighting Corporate Greed in the Gaming Industry

Players Alliance HQ is a movement of gamers fighting for a gaming future built on passion, creativity, and affordable games free from corporate control.

playersalliancehq.org

In 2024, EA’s CEO was paid 260 times more than the median EA worker, while the company laid off thousands of developers. Loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics, and server shutdowns rob consumers of their money and their games.

Players Alliance HQ exists to change that. We organize gamers, support developers, and build the collective power needed to hold corporations accountable. Our mission is to take back a gaming industry that is dominated by corporate greed and profit.

 

[arthwollipot]

Uh-huh. Okay.

 

[alfaniner]

Sort of related -- lots of backlash for Sony for making the PS6 a non-disc item only, and at $1000 it's way out of many peoples' price range. Mine included.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

That is mostly due to Rarmageddon, caused by most RAM being reserved for AI GPUs.

RAM prices have increased by 500% to 700% over the last 12–18 months, driven by a global memory supply shortage starting in 2025.

I recently had to build a new PC, and RAM was by far the most expensive single component