After going private in August, Electronic Arts (EA) is cutting about 3% of its staff and shutting down video game developer BioWare.
On Wednesday, EA reportedly notified employees in an email that the company would be laying off around 400 people, including about 50 at BioWare, as the company focuses on more lucrative projects, according to Bloomberg.
Closing down BioWare’s Edmonton, Canada studio, the announcement also included the cancellation of a Mass Effect game in early development.
“For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life,” said a spokesperson for the developer in a statement. “Baldur’s Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.”
The statement continued, “Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending. There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.
“What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own. From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story,” they added.
In EA’s email, the company said it would attempt to help impacted employees find another role internally.
Last year, EA went private in a $55B deal led by Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners.