EA shut down BioWare earlier today, and fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic are paying their respects to the beloved developer.
Star Wars: The Old Republic was originally developed by BioWare, launching back in 2011. BioWare supported the MMO itself until 2023, when EA put Broadsword Games in charge of maintaining it. But the bulk of the game's story content was developed and written by BioWare, so it's little wonder that the SWTOR community would want to pay respects to the now-dormant studio following this latest news.
Reddit user WarlockingIn posted BioWare's farewell statement on the SWTOR subreddit, and in just a few hours, it's garnered nearly 5,000 upvotes and 742 comments supporting the now-defunct RPG developer.
Bae_the_Elf posted a comment, lamenting EA's treatment of the studio, saying, "RIP. One of the greatest gaming studios of all time in my opinion. Sad to see how corporate mismanagement and time sadly lead to the downfall of this studio. It would have been nice if they had just kept chugging out great RPGs at a steady pace for years."
Meanwhile, user AnnoyedYamcha was devastated by the closure, saying "NO. Not BIOWARE! They made so many great games. What the hell is going on!!! They were the bar for RPG's. KOTOR, MASS EFFECT, DRAGON AGE, JADE EMPIRE, they were all great! JADE EMPIRE though doesn't get enough love. I wish they made another. THANK YOU BIOWARE FOR EVERYTHING! 😭😭"
Some fans were surprised that SWTOR outlived BioWare, though. The top comment on the thread, from user Inangelion, simply says, "SWTOR outlives Bioware. What a strange timeline."
Some were even thankful that Broadsword took over, with user Dangerously_Stupid posting, "You know, a few years ago I was upset that BioWare was giving up SWTOR and handing it to Broadsword. I am no longer upset by that." Likewise, user KukiBreeze is just thankful that the MMO lives on another day, saying "Thank you Broadsword, a sh*tty day could have been 1000x sh*ttier otherwise."
Star Wars: The Old Republic fans aren't alone in mourning BioWare. People from across the internet have reacted to the studio's closure, and the fact that we'll never get a Mass Effect 5. But, for now at least, Star Wars: The Old Republic lives on, with hundreds of hours of peak BioWare storytelling.