EA chose to shut down BioWare to focus on making Star Wars Battlefront 3, it's claimed, due to the publisher's executives believing a new Star Wars game was more likely to be a success than a new Mass Effect game, according to a report from Bloomberg citing anonymous sources. The decision was reportedly made after EA was presented with the opportunity to make a new Star Wars Battlefront game, and the publisher had to choose between two sci-fi action games, each set to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The next Mass Effect game, titled Mass Effect Universe, was cancelled as a result. EA has not confirmed the specifics of its decision, stating that it made the choice after months of planning and careful consideration of evolving business conditions and industry dynamics. The closure of BioWare is also attributed to the studio's recent games not reviewing as well as its past titles, and corporate politics.
The report frames the Star Wars vs Mass Effect decision as one of the main reasons for BioWare's closure.