When EA was acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, many expected major changes at the gaming company, including layoffs and game cancellations, among other shakeups. Now, those have begun, with EA on October 21 confirming a series of significant changes impacting the people and teams that worked on many storied franchises.

EA also teased some of what's to come in the future, including a joint project between Respawn and DICE. Here's a rundown of all the big EA news today.

EA said in a statement that it made the "difficult" choice to lay off staff, and Bloomberg reported that the cuts will impact about 400 people. Affected staffers will be treated with "care and respect," EA said, and some impacted employees may have a chance to get a different job within EA.

BioWare, the esteemed Canadian developer founded 30+ years ago, is shutting down. The studio employed fewer than 100 people, Bloomberg reported, and the team was working on the next Mass Effect. That game is now canceled.

"BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly," EA said.

Developers at BioWare had feared their jobs were at risk after PIF announced that it would buy EA. BioWare is known, in part, for making pro-diversity games featuring inclusive storytelling and characters.

Longtime BioWare writer Patrick Weekes, who was laid off in 2025, speculated that EA’s new owners, including the PIF, might want to avoid “gay stuff” and politics that the PIF’s leadership does not agree with.

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