Electronic Arts to lay off 400 staff, shut down BioWare [Update]

Approximately 400 employees will be laid off, representing about three percent of its total workforce, including roughly 50 at BioWare, a person familiar with the company’s plans told Bloomberg.

In a letter to staff sent out today, Electronic Arts chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber said that “over the past several months, we’ve taken a hard look at our business” and cancel some projects, including the next Mass Effect game, which was in early development at BioWare.

A new game in The Sims franchise, code-named “Project Lotus,” was also canceled, while a different project code-named “Project Evergreen” will continue development. The free-to-play Variety report citing “multiple sources.”)

Here is the full statement from BioWare on its closure:

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.

Baldur’s Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.

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.

Update 1:35 p.m.: Here is the full letter to staff from Tinson and Weber:

Hi Team,

First, thank you.

Through every major moment we’ve faced as a company, your commitment to creating awesome games and experiences for our players continues to be impressive. Together, we’ve built epic worlds and global communities that are part of the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

Today, we’re the number one publisher in Western HD gaming. That’s an extraordinary position to lead from, and one we should be proud of. Yet our industry is changing quickly. Players have more choices than ever for their time and attention, competition is intensifying, and some of our biggest opportunities for growth are beyond the markets, platforms, and business models where EA has traditionally been the strongest.

That’s why, over the past several months, we’ve taken a hard look at our business, how we operate, and what it will take to lead in this next era of interactive entertainment. We’ve challenged assumptions, confronted hard realities, imagined new possibilities, and made deliberate choices in order to deliver exceptional experiences for our players and to drive sustained growth.

We believe our best creative work happens when we’re clear about what matters most for our players and give our teams the freedom to move quickly. So, we’re concentrating our teams, technology, and investment behind these three strategic priorities.

• Deepen Our Core – Our greatest opportunity starts with our franchises and global communities that have made EA a leader in interactive entertainment. This is where we’ve had to make our hardest choices. Saying no to some things we’re passionate about allows us to focus our teams and resources so we give our biggest opportunities everything they need to succeed.
• Expand Our