Electronic Arts closes BioWare as studio count reaches 20

Electronic Arts has closed the BioWare studio, bringing the total number of acquired studios shut down by the company to 20 over its nearly 40-year history. Notable former studios include Maxis Emeryville, Westwood Studios, Bullfrog Productions, and Visceral Games.

The closures follow a major corporate transition in which EA was taken private in a $55 billion deal. The company is now owned by a group consisting of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the private equity firm Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. This shift means the company no longer answers to public shareholders, though it faces approximately $20 billion in debt financing.

While EA has internally described itself as the top publisher in the Western HD games market, analysts have noted that the change in ownership could lead to further asset sales to cut costs.