BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, said on October 21, 2026 that it is closing and that early work on the next Mass Effect has stopped. Also in this roundup: Sony's new PlayStation Pulse headset gets a $99.99 price and a November 19 date, Xbox prices its pay-as-you-go cloud gaming, Phantom Blade Zero sets its launch time, Football Manager 27 goes free for five days, and Croteam announces Serious Sam: The Third Encounter.
BioWare is closing, and the next Mass Effect is canceled
BioWare announced the closure on its blog on October 21: the studio is shutting down and "early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending." In a memo to EA staff published by Variety, EA executives Cam Weber and David Tinson said a small team had been working on Mass Effect and that EA is closing the studio and its Edmonton office. The memo gives no job numbers. The Associated Press says Bloomberg reported about 400 layoffs at EA, including about 50 at BioWare, which EA bought in 2007.
What it means for you:
- Mass Effect: the next game is canceled. Neither BioWare's post nor the memo says anything about the studio's existing games.
- Still coming: Marvel's Iron Man, the next Star Wars Jedi game, and new Apex Legends modes.
- Paused: a Sims project called "Project Lotus", so the team can focus on "Project Evergreen". The skate. team is getting smaller.
- Unconfirmed: the memo says Respawn and DICE will work together on an unnamed project. Variety reports, citing multiple sources, that it is Star Wars: Battlefront 3. EA has not named it.
Our take: This is the end of one of the most important studios in role-playing games. With BioWare gone and no other team named, Mass Effect fans have no new game to look forward to for now.
Sony's PlayStation Pulse headset launches November 19 for $99.99
Sony updated its PlayStation Blog post on October 21 with the price and date of the PlayStation Pulse wireless headset, the first of its two new headsets to launch. It uses planar magnetic drivers, connects over PlayStation Link to PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC and Mac, can connect to a Bluetooth device at the same time, and has a microphone with AI-based noise rejection.
What it means for you:
- Release: November 19, 2026 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan, Australia and much of Europe, in White or Midnight Black.
- Price: $99.99.
- Pre-orders: October 29 at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET from direct.playstation.com in the U.S., and from participating retailers.
- Pulse Edge: the higher-end model launches in 2027. Its price hasn't been announced.
Our take: $99.99 puts planar drivers and PlayStation Link at a mainstream price. Wait for reviews of the microphone and battery before you pre-order.
Xbox Cloud Playtime lets you stream without Game Pass, from $3.99
Xbox started testing Cloud Playtime with Xbox Insiders on October 21. It lets players without a Game Pass subscription buy blocks of cloud gaming time instead. Xbox says it will roll out more widely in November.
What it means for you:
- Prices (introductory): 10 hours for $3.99, 25 hours for $7.99, or 50 hours for $11.99.
- What you get: streaming without ads, shorter waits and high-quality streams. Unused hours don't expire.
- What you need: to own a game that supports cloud play, or a free-to-play game where supported, plus a supported device.
- Free option: Xbox Insiders can also stream for free with ads, which Xbox announced earlier.
Our take: For someone who streams a few evenings a month, $3.99 for 10 hours is a cheap way in. It only helps if you already own the games, though, so it suits players with a library more than players looking for one.
Phantom Blade Zero launches October 28 at 7 p.m. PT, with a PS5 disc in 2027
S-GAME released the launch trailer for Phantom Blade Zero on October 21, and its description gives the exact launch time for the kung fu action RPG. It also says a PS5 physical edition arrives in 2027.
What it means for you:
- Release: October 28 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on PS5 and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), digital only for now.
- Pre-load: October 26 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
- Price: $59.99 for the standard edition and $69.99 for the Deluxe Edition on Steam.
- PS5 disc: 2027, with no date or price yet.
Our take: If you prefer to own a disc, you now know one is coming, but it means waiting months while everyone else plays. Digital buyers can pre-load two days early and start in the evening, US time.
Football Manager 27 is free to play from October 29 to November 3
Sports Interactive announced on October 21 that the FM27 Launch Preview will be free on PC and Mac for five days, starting October 29 at 6 p.m. GMT (11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET). This preview replaces the old beta, and every game mode is included.
What it means for you:
- Where: Steam, Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store, and Game Pass (Ultimate or PC Game Pass). No sign-up needed.
- Saves: careers started during the free period carry over to the full game.
- After November 3: pre-purchasing gets you 10% off and keeps you playing from 6 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET) that day until the full launch on November 10. The price isn't in the announcement.
Our take: A free five-day trial of a full annual sports game is rare, and it lets you see whether FM27 runs well on your PC before you pay.
Serious Sam: The Third Encounter is in development for PC
Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital announced Serious Sam: The Third Encounter on Steam on October 21, 24 years after The Second Encounter. The Steam page says the story picks up exactly where The Second Encounter ended, with the classic weapons back, new ones added, and solo or co-op play.
What it means for you:
- Platforms: PC via Steam. No consoles have been announced.
- Release date and price: not announced. Croteam says the game is in early development.
- What to do now: wishlist it on Steam if you want a notification.
Our take: A direct sequel to the original Encounters is good news for fans of old-school shooters. Early development usually means a long wait, so don't expect it soon.