Electronic Arts Shut Down BioWare and Cancel Mass Effect 5 in favor of Star Wars Battlefront 3

Last week, Electronic Arts took the entire gaming community by surprise with its announcement—namely, the shutdown of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5, which had been in development for several years. Various reasons have been cited for why this happened, but a recent report by a reputable journalist reveals the main reason.

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has published a new article revealing the real reasons why EA decided to shut down BioWare and halt development of the next Mass Effect game. According to his report, company executives decided to focus on another franchise—Star Wars—and begin development of Battlefront 3 instead of continuing work on Mass Effect 5. Schreier also adds that EA had an agreement with Lucasfilm before the publisher was acquired by new owners from Saudi Arabia this summer, and that the brand’s recognition, in any case, makes the release of a new game less risky.

REPORT: EA has reportedly cancelled Mass Effect 5 because they wanted to invest in making Star Wars: Battlefront

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports that this is the real reason, rather than the game being “woke” or EA being acquired by Saudi Arabia.

As noted above, there were earlier rumors that Mass Effect 5 might have been canceled because BioWare wanted to remove LGBT symbolism, which also affected its development. But it seems that’s not entirely the case. Meanwhile, according to insider Shinobi602, after EA came under the ownership of Saudi Arabian investors, the company shifted its focus, and the studio will now develop only shooters and sports simulators. Based on this logic, the decision to go with Star Wars Battlefront 3 only confirms this fact.

As for Battlefront 3 itself, in his report, Schreiber noted that development on the game has not yet begun. EA has confirmed the project is being developed jointly by DICE and Respawn Entertainment. As for the canceled Mass Effect 5, which was titled Universe, this week has brought a number of details revealing that it was a highly ambitious project. Fans have even launched a petition to save the franchise, which has already gathered more than 280,000 signatures.