It looks like the end of an era for classic role-playing games. Electronic Arts (EA) has confirmed that it is shutting down BioWare after more than 30 years in the business.
The move comes as part of a company-wide restructuring effort that will see EA lay off around 400 employees globally.
About 50 of those job cuts will directly affect staff at the developer’s Edmonton headquarters.
Three decades of genre-defining hits, now gone
For anyone who grew up playing story-rich titles, BioWare needs no introduction. Founded in 1995, the Canadian outfit essentially set the benchmark for Western RPGs.
Franchises like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the early Baldur’s Gate games shaped how interactive storytelling worked for an entire generation of gamers.
Live-service bets and development woes
Recent years have been far from smooth sailing for the team. BioWare attempted to chase live-service multiplayer trends with Anthem back in 2019, but the title failed to find solid footing.
More recently, Dragon Age: The Veilguard spent nearly a decade in development before launching to underwhelming commercial numbers. Those missteps appear to have sealed the studio’s fate under EA leadership.
The next Mass Effect is officially scrapped
The most painful news for fans is the cancellation of the next Mass Effect title. Early work on the highly anticipated sequel has been completely abandoned. It is a bitter pill for a community that spent years picking apart cryptic teasers and concept art from the studio.
If there is any silver lining, the live-action Mass Effect television series at Amazon MGM Studios is reportedly still going ahead.
What’s next for EA and BioWare?
The shutdown has sent shockwaves through the wider games industry. Former BioWare developers pointed out that the studio’s reputation was built on creative risks and long development cycles.
That philosophy was always likely to clash with EA’s corporate priority on steady monetisation and predictable quarterly returns.
EA noted that it is trying to help affected staff transition into new roles or openings across the publisher where possible. Nevertheless, seeing a heavyweight like BioWare close its doors leaves quite a void in the gaming landscape.
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