EA Closed BioWare to Fund Star Wars Battlefront 3, Report Says

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, EA decided to shut down BioWare because it could fund only one of two major sci-fi projects. They chose Star Wars Battlefront 3 over Mass Effect 5. Eurogamer mentions that executives felt they had to “choose” between the two titles.

Both games required “hundreds of millions” of dollars to complete, as GamingBolt reports. Executives apparently viewed Battlefront 3 as the safer option. This choice ultimately led to the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 and the closure of the studio that created it.

The financial context sheds light on their reasoning. GamesRadar describes the decision as a cautious move for a publisher facing about $18 billion in debt. Given that, a Star Wars shooter with an established audience seems like a lower-risk bet than a new Mass Effect game.

PC Gamer calls the situation “one last bitter drop in a chalice of sorrow” for BioWare fans. The studio’s shutdown and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 now seem rooted in a single budgetary decision.

This account remains a report. GamingBolt refers to it as a rumor, and we couldn’t find any on-the-record confirmation from EA about the reasoning. Our earlier coverage noted that a Mass Effect 5 trailer leaked just one day after the studio’s closure, hinting at how far the project had progressed.

By The Numbers

Projects EA weighed	2 (Mass Effect 5, Star Wars Battlefront 3)
Reported cost per project	“Hundreds of millions” of dollars
EA debt cited by GamesRadar	~$18 billion
Original reporting	Bloomberg (Jason Schreier)
Mass Effect 5 genres	Action, RPG

Community Pulse

Our sentiment tracker shows a “mixed” response, but we haven’t picked up any player signals yet. That means no Steam reviews or forum posts to share at this time. We’ll update with reactions as they come in. So far, the only fan response is PC Gamer’s portrayal of the news as a disappointing conclusion for BioWare enthusiasts.

What To Watch

• EA confirmation: We’ll see if EA addresses the Bloomberg report directly, including the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 and the funding for Battlefront 3.
• Battlefront 3 details: Any announcements about the developer, platforms, or timeline for the Star Wars shooter that reportedly secured the budget.
• Mass Effect’s future: We’ll be watching to see if EA licenses, reboots, or shelves the franchise, and whether any more material about Mass Effect 5 leaks out.