The Closure of BioWare, the Future of Mass Effect and the Failure of EA Help

To Electronic Arts' Senior Leadership,

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and anger at EA's decision to close BioWare and discontinue development of the next Mass Effect game.

As a longstanding customer, I regard this decision as a betrayal of the loyalty and goodwill that EA has enjoyed from generations of players. My subsequent attempts to raise these concerns privately have only deepened my dissatisfaction with the company.

The Loss of BioWare

For more than three decades, BioWare demonstrated that video games could be more than commercial entertainment. Through Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate, the studio helped establish gaming as a serious medium for sophisticated storytelling, complex characters, moral ambiguity and meaningful player choice.

These games explored identity, loyalty, sacrifice, discrimination and political responsibility. BioWare was also a pioneer of inclusive storytelling, particularly in its representation of LGBT characters and relationships.

For millions of players, these were not simply products purchased, completed and forgotten. They were worlds to become immersed in, characters to care about and stories that stayed with us long after the credits rolled.

I recognise that EA is a commercial enterprise and must make difficult financial decisions. However, profitability cannot be the sole measure of a studio's value.

BioWare accumulated decades of creative expertise, cultural significance and customer goodwill. These are not assets that can simply be recreated by investing in the next commercially attractive franchise.

The cancellation of the next Mass Effect is particularly devastating after years of anticipation. The uncertain future of Dragon Age is equally troubling.

If EA no longer considers these franchises commercially viable, I would urge the company to consider licensing or selling the intellectual property to developers prepared to continue their legacy.

Owning a beloved franchise should carry some responsibility towards the creative legacy and community that made it successful.

The Failure of EA Help

My disappointment was compounded by my attempts to submit a formal complaint privately.

On 21 October 2026, I visited EA Help intending to raise my concerns directly with the company. However, I could find no appropriate complaints procedure beyond support channels apparently designed for technical problems, refunds and account issues.

I attempted to contact a human representative through EA's automated chatbot. Despite repeatedly asking to speak to a person, I received the same automated response over and over again.

Eventually, I reached a representative within the Accounts Team.

I explained that I wished to submit a formal corporate complaint and requested an appropriate escalation channel, a complaint reference number and written acknowledgement.

I was informed that EA Help could document customer feedback but could not escalate complaints to senior management, create a formal corporate complaint case or provide acknowledgement from the relevant departments.

I then requested the publicly available contact details of the relevant EA corporate entity, including an appropriate email address for written correspondence.

Again, I was unable to obtain the information requested.

I understand that individual support advisers cannot change corporate policy, and I made clear throughout our conversation that my dissatisfaction was not directed at the employee personally.

Nevertheless, I find it extraordinary that a company of EA's size apparently cannot provide an accessible means for longstanding customers to raise concerns about its corporate conduct.

The Conversation Was Then Closed While I Was Responding

The conclusion of my interaction was particularly unsatisfactory.

At 7:28 pm, the adviser responded to my enquiry, explaining the limitations of EA Help.

At 7:31 pm, I sent a further message requesting the appropriate published email address, confirmation that my concerns had been documented and information about obtaining a copy of the conversation.

EA's chat interface confirmed that my message had been read at 7:31 pm.

Yet, in that same minute, the conversation was terminated with the message:

"I'm sorry, but it seems you have stopped responding."

This was despite EA's chat interface having advised that conversations would close after ten minutes of inactivity.

There had been no such period of inactivity. My final message had been submitted and marked as read in the very minute the conversation ended.

I cannot establish whether this resulted from an automated error or an individual decision, but the explanation provided was plainly inconsistent with the recorded conversation.

I have retained timestamped screenshots documenting this interaction, which are attached to this post.

Is this genuinely the standard of communication and accountability that EA considers acceptable?

Questions for EA's Leadership

I would appreciate a substantive response to the following questions:

1. Mass Effect and Dragon Age: What plans, if any, does EA have for these franchises following BioWare's closure?
2. Alternative development: If EA does not intend to develop these properties, will it consider licensing or selling them to another studio?
3. Affected employees: What meaningful support is being provided to the developers and other staff affected by the closure?
4. Customer complaints: How can a UK customer submit a formal written complaint about EA's corporate decisions when EA Help cannot provide an appropriate escalation channel?
5. Customer-service conduct: Why was my conversation closed on the grounds that I had stopped responding when EA's own records demonstrate otherwise?

The Loss of My Confidence as a Customer

I wish to make my position unequivocally clear.

I will no longer purchase EA products.

This is not a decision I have taken lightly. It reflects the loss of confidence I have in EA's stewardship of its creative properties, its corporate priorities and its treatment of the communities whose loyalty has contributed to its success.

I understand that a single customer's decision is unlikely to influence a corporation of EA's size. Nevertheless, I believe its leadership should recognise that commercial decisions have consequences beyond immediate financial performance.

They affect trust, goodwill and the willingness of customers to continue supporting a publisher.

EA has every right to make commercial decisions. Its customers have an equal right to scrutinise those decisions, express their dissatisfaction and withdraw their financial support.

I had hoped to communicate my concerns privately. Unfortunately, my experience with EA Help left me without a satisfactory route to do so. I have therefore brought this complaint to the company's public forum.

I ask that EA take these concerns seriously and provide meaningful answers rather than simply acknowledging them as general customer feedback.

You may own these franchises, but you do not own the loyalty of the people who made them successful.

BioWare deserved a better ending. Its employees deserved a better future. And its customers deserve meaningful answers.

A longstanding and profoundly disappointed EA customer.

Supporting evidence: Screenshots of my EA Help conversation on 21 October 2026 are attached. Personal identifying information has been redacted. Conversation content and timestamps have not been altered.