EA to close BioWare amid reported 400 job cuts; Orlando impact unclear

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare amid a restructuring that reportedly includes about 400 job cuts, but the company’s public announcement does not specify whether its Orlando operation will be affected.EA’s downtown Orlando studio develops games in the Madden NFL and EA Sports College Football franchises. The operation is based in Creative Village at 515 W. Amelia St.Bloomberg reported that EA plans to eliminate approximately 400 positions companywide, including roughly 50 at BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age.What EA announcedIn a Wednesday announcement to employees, EA said it would close BioWare and its Edmonton, Canada, workspace after deciding not to continue early development of the next Mass Effect game.The company said it would concentrate resources on selected franchises and fewer simultaneous large-scale projects. It also announced a smaller development team for skate.EA said it would help affected employees explore other opportunities within the company.O