Summary
The recent layoffs at Electronic Arts may have put the future of some upcoming projects in question, but fans can rest assured thatMass Effect 5is still being worked on at BioWare. There has been a growing number of layoffs in the gaming industry over the past year or so, withMass Effect 5developer BioWare cutting part of theStar Wars: The Old Republicteam back in June. This hasn’t slowed down in 2024, with a reported total of over 8,000 job losses in just the past couple of months alone.
Recently,EA was hit with another round of layoffs, this time resulting in nearly 670 people losing their jobs due to cost-cutting measures. This news came just a few days removed from PlayStation laying off about 900 workers, including those at in-house studios like Guerrilla Games, Insomniac, and Naughty Dog. As for EA, its latest staff culling has led to Respawn’sStar WarsFPS being canceled andBattlefielddeveloper Ridgeline Games closing its doors.
Despite these grim developments, many of EA’s planned projects are still being worked on, includingMass Effect 5. According to the sameIGNreport that revealed thecancelation of Respawn’s FPSStar Warsgame, BioWare is still developing the nextMass Effectgame, though it is reportedly still in pre-production as of this writing. Additionally, BioWare is focusing its efforts onDragon Age: Dreadwolffor the time being.
Mass Effect 5 Is Still A Long Way Off
Mass Effect 5was first announced back in 2020 with a cryptic reveal trailer featuring fan-favorite squadmate Liara T’Soni. In the years to follow, BioWare has been dropping hints about the nextMass Effectgame, with recent teasers suggesting thatMass Effect’s Geth and Angara raceswill have a presence and that certainMass Effect 3endings could be made official canon after about a decade of fan debate and speculation. There are also rumors thatMass Effect 5might bring back the classic Paragon/Renegade morality system from the original trilogy after it was eschewed in 2017’sMass Effect: Andromeda.
While EA’s latest round of layoffs has resulted in anticipated projects being scrapped andstudios being shut down, not everything has been lost. Reports indicate that EA is refocusing its efforts toward developing its own major franchises, though the publisher’s plannedIron Man,Black Panther, and thirdStar Wars: Jedititles are still in production following the recent shake-up. It appears thatMass Effect 5is also still in the cards, though fans will probably have to wait until after BioWare is finished withDragon Age: Dreadwolfto dive back into the massiveMass Effectuniverse.
