Many EA employees began to worry about their future when they learned that a consortium of investors, including Silver Lake, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and Affinity Partners, had acquired the company for $55 billion. People believe that the $20 billion debt required to close the deal, which EA took on, will be repaid primarily through cost optimization and large-scale layoffs.
The most concerned are the employees of the Edmonton-based BioWare studio. After Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet EA's expectations, the studio faced layoffs in January of this year. Even then, employees expressed concerns about a possible new wave of layoffs. Although this has not yet happened, many continue to work with a sense of instability.
Several sources within BioWare shared their concerns on condition of anonymity. Most believe that BioWare will be one of the first studios to face new layoffs after the change of ownership.
We knew that after the negative reaction to Dragon Age everything would only get worse. Can you imagine what we think now?
The sale of EA is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, meaning significant changes are unlikely to occur before April 2026. However, some employees are already preparing to look for new jobs.
I started preparing my portfolio and looking for options last year. It seems like it's only a matter of time.
As for Mass Effect, employees continue to work on the project, assuming that the game will still be released. At the beginning of the year, a small team was working on it, but recently the project has received additional resources.