EA closes BioWare as Netflix spends $4.8B on buybacks before layoffs
EA shut down BioWare and canceled its next Mass Effect game, while Netflix reported record quarterly buyback spending ahead of roughly 1,000 job cuts.
EA has shut down BioWare and canceled its next Mass Effect title, according to cartoonbrew.com. The studio closure and game cancellation come as Netflix reported record quarterly spending of $4.8 billion on stock buybacks, followed by roughly 1,000 layoffs.
The BioWare shutdown and Mass Effect cancellation arrived less than three months after a $55 billion Saudi-led takeover of EA was completed. EA did not specify a reason for closing the studio or canceling the game.
Netflix's $4.8 billion buyback figure and the subsequent layoffs were reported in the same period. The company has not detailed which divisions or roles were affected by the job cuts.
In other animation and entertainment business news, Sony published a behind-the-scenes look at how Aniplex, Crunchyroll and its studios fit together in its anime operations. Amazon MGM greenlit an animated feature adaptation of Game of Pets from The Bad Guys creator Aaron Blabey, with Rideback and Foundation Media producing. The story follows an allergic 11-year-old who discovers pets hiding an intergalactic secret.
Separately, five Ice Age films filled half of Netflix's global English-language film Top 10 ahead of Disney's Boiling Point release. Infinity Festival also announced its 2026 lineup, including Brad Bird, Travis Knight and a new ASIFA showcase.