EA Has Acquired and Later Closed Multiple Studios, Full List Shows

Players have again turned on Electronic Arts after the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of a new Mass Effect game, accusing the publisher of destroying its own studios and franchises.

Over the past few decades, EA has become a master of acquiring well-known teams that lose their independence after a few years and shut down. The pattern has repeated since the late 1980s. The publisher buys talented developers, imposes corporate rules and trends on them, then gets rid of the studio if its financial results fall short of expectations.

BioWare joined a long list of teams.

1. Batteries Included – acquired and closed in 1987.
2. Origin Systems – acquired in 1992, closed in 2004.
3. Bullfrog Productions – acquired in 1995, closed in 2001.
4. Maxis – acquired in 1997, closed in 2015. EA still uses the studio’s name.
5. Westwood Studios / EA Pacific – acquired in 1998, closed in 2003.
6. Kesmai – acquired in 1999, closed in 2001.
7. DreamWorks Interactive / Danger Close Games – acquired in 2000, closed in 2013.
8. Black Box Games – acquired in 2002, closed in 2013.
9. NuFX / EA Chicago – acquired in 2004, closed in 2007.
10. Hypnotix – acquired and closed in 2005, with its staff moved to EA Tiburon.
11. Mythic Entertainment – acquired in 2006, closed in 2014.
12. Phenomic Game Development – acquired in 2006, closed in 2013.
13. Headgate Studios / EA Salt Lake – acquired in 2006, closed in 2017.
14. Pandemic Studios – acquired in 2007, closed in 2009.
15. BioWare – acquired in 2007, closed in 2026.
16. J2MSoft – acquired in 2008, folded into EA Korea.
17. Playfish – acquired in 2009, closed in 2013.
18. Chillingo – acquired in 2010, with the closure beginning in 2017 and finishing in 2023.
19. Industrial Toys – acquired in 2018, closed in 2023.

The change of owners offers little reason for optimism either. After the move to private investors, the company may focus on cutting costs and paying down debt rather than preserving its teams and the franchises players love.