Following EA's closure of BioWare and the cancellation of the new Mass Effect project, former BioWare Executive Producer Mark Darrah discussed the future of the studio's franchises. He believes that with no internal teams at EA continuing development on these titles, the likelihood of selling IPs such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Jade Empire has increased.
Darrah left BioWare in 2021. He stated that the above judgment is based on EA's current cost-control measures; if the company shifts towards generating revenue from existing assets in the future, long-dormant IPs might be more suitable for sale. However, EA might also choose to keep these franchises shelved indefinitely rather than seeking buyers.
Retaining copyright ownership also holds economic value. Taking Mass Effect as an example, its live-action TV series is currently in development on Prime Video. Even if EA no longer produces new games, it can still generate revenue through licensing deals for film and television adaptations.
If the relevant IPs are sold, the new owners will have the opportunity to develop new titles, but there is no guarantee that buyers will be more proactive than EA. Darrah also mentioned that the progress made on the Mass Effect 5 project previously underway at BioWare will not carry over.