What EA announced<\/p>\n
In a Wednesday announcement to employees<\/a>, EA said it would close BioWare and its Edmonton, Canada, workspace after deciding not to continue early development of the next Mass Effect game.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n EA said it would help affected employees explore other opportunities within the company.<\/p>\n Orlando\u2019s connection to EA<\/p>\n EA\u2019s Orlando operation, also known as Tiburon, includes teams working in game development, technology, marketing and publishing, according to the company.<\/p>\n The studio relocated to Creative Village in fall 2021. The city\u2019s development overview described the relocation as bringing more than 1,000 jobs downtown; that figure is not a confirmed current employee count.<\/p>\n Channel 9 previously covered EA\u2019s move into the downtown Orlando skyline<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sports investment continues, company says<\/p>\n EA\u2019s restructuring announcement said the company remains committed to investment across its EA Sports portfolio.<\/p>\n It also announced \u201cProject Gridiron,\u201d described as a social-focused, open-world experience being developed by its American football team.<\/p>\n The announcement did not identify where that project\u2019s developers are based or detail staffing changes in Orlando. Continued investment in sports games does not establish whether individual Orlando positions will be affected.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n