EA has paused development on Project Lotus, an unannounced The Sims game, in a restructuring that also closes BioWare and ends early work on the next Mass Effect. In a letter to staff that EA also published on its news site on October 21, chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber said the publisher will put its weight behind a separate Sims project, codenamed Project Evergreen, to give that team more time to reach the game’s full vision.
Paused, not cancelled, but the details are thin
Notebookcheck notes that some outlets, including Bloomberg, reported the move as a cancellation. EA’s own wording is that it is “pausing development” on Lotus to help make Evergreen possible. The letter doesn’t say what Lotus was, how far along it got, or whether any of its work will feed into future Sims releases.
PC Gamer describes Lotus as originally presumed to be a sort of precursor to The Sims 5. Evergreen gets no description at all beyond its priority status, so Sims fans have a name to watch and nothing else to go on.
The Sims sits in EA’s Lifestyle business alongside skate., and the letter says the company is focusing on the long-term potential of both. For skate., EA says it has had success bringing players in but needs an experience that keeps them engaged, so the studio is moving to a smaller, more focused team working to a clear roadmap. The free-to-play game continues.
BioWare closes and layoffs follow
The letter says a small BioWare team had been working on early development for Mass Effect, and that EA decided not to move forward with it. That decision means BioWare and its Edmonton workspace are closing. The letter calls it a legendary studio and says the company doesn’t take the decision lightly.
EA’s letter gives no headcount, only a line that some changes are difficult for the people directly affected, and that the company will support them in exploring other roles within EA. Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the plans, that about 400 employees are being laid off, roughly 3% of EA’s workforce, including about 50 at BioWare. Xbox has also confirmed 3,200 job cuts and five studio exits, though it insists no games are being cancelled, so EA isn’t alone in trimming its portfolio.
What EA is keeping
EA describes the plan as fewer, bigger bets, and the letter lists where the money stays:
- Shooters: Future Battlefield titles continue, while Respawn and DICE will work together on an unannounced project. EA also plans to keep investing heavily in Apex Legends with new multiplayer modes and other experiences.
- Action-adventure: Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game remain on track. Beyond those, EA says it will concentrate on fewer simultaneous large-scale projects.
- EA Sports: The company is committed to its FC franchise and the wider EA Sports portfolio. Two new projects arrive over the next few months: Project Gridiron, a social-first open-world American football game, and a return of Fight Night, which is in pre-production.
A restructuring after the buyout
The letter lands about two and a half months after EA went private. A consortium of PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed its $55 billion acquisition on August 4, according to Notebookcheck, in a deal financed in part by roughly $20 billion in debt. For readers in Saudi Arabia, where PIF is based, that ownership link is why the cuts draw so much attention. The letter itself doesn’t mention the new owners and frames the changes as the result of a business review with three priorities: deepening its core franchises, expanding its reach and transforming its business.
PC Gamer adds that a possible merger with Saudi-owned Savvy Games Group has been rumoured, though neither EA nor the report in the letter confirms one. EA says it will discuss its direction further at its next Global Town Hall in November, so any more detail on the Sims roadmap would most likely emerge after that.
Is The Sims 5 cancelled?
EA’s letter doesn’t use that name. It says it is pausing Project Lotus, which PC Gamer describes as originally presumed to be a Sims 5 precursor, and prioritising Project Evergreen, which EA hasn’t described.
Is Mass Effect over?
EA says it decided not to move forward with early development on the next Mass Effect and is closing BioWare and its Edmonton workspace. The letter doesn’t say what happens to the franchise beyond that.
Will EA say more soon?
EA says the next Global Town Hall in November will cover its direction and upcoming work. It is an employee event, so any public detail would come afterwards.
