Star Wars Battlefront III opportunity reportedly the main factor among several in BioWare closure

Both games were projected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Bloomberg. Executives viewed Battlefront III as the less risky, more predictable option, even though development had not begun. Bloomberg also reports that a $55 billion leveraged buyout finalized in August took EA private and left it with $18 billion in debt.

BioWare’s recent performance was another part of the picture. Bloomberg reports that 2024’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations by 50% and that 50 people remained at the studio when it closed. Schreier writes that changes in EA’s executive ranks may also have played a role.

Asked about the closure, an EA spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company reached its decision after “months of planning, review, and analysis.” The spokesperson offered no more specifics and did not address Bloomberg’s account of the choice between Battlefront III and Mass Effect.