On October 21, EA announced a major restructuring of its development studios and current projects, which included the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of the next Mass Effect game.
This news hit fans like a truck, as many were excitedly waiting for the next installment in the beloved sci-fi role-playing series. BioWare created some of the most beloved and influential RPGs in history over the course of 30 years of existence, but its closure was relegated to just a single paragraph in EA's memo to staff on today's dramatic company changes.
“As we focus on these larger opportunities, we've had a small team at BioWare working on early-development for Mass Effect. We've made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we’re closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace. BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly,” Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO, said in the memo.
Needless to say, fans of BioWare games — particularly Mass Effect — were left devastated by this news. On social media, the prevailing sentiment seems to be one of anger and despair, with commenters venting their spleen at EA and the current state of the industry.
“I was so excited for N7 day. I was so excited for the next Mass Effect game. The Mass Effect trilogy is one of my favorite games of all time, and now it’s dead forever. I don’t even know what to think or say, everything feels unreal,” one fan wrote online.
“This is a f**king dagger in my heart. Thank you for being a huge part of my childhood,” another said.
“Please God, PLEASE sell your IPs to another company,” yet another urged. “Don't let the legacy of Mass Effect and Dragon Age die with these last gory gasps. Sell them to other companies that can continue telling the stories they can... Don't let EA hold these settings hostage.”
Prominent members of the video game development community also offered their thoughts. The co-CEO of The Witcher and Cyberpunk developer CD Projekt Red, Michal Nowakowski, weighed in with a statement honoring BioWare for its help and collaboration over the years.
“BioWare has been a massive part of CDPR history. We befriended them when localizing and selling Baldur’s Gate games in Poland, Czech, and Slovakia. And later, they were a great help when lending us their engine for Witcher 1, sharing their wisdom and even giving us a spot at their booth at E3. I had the pleasure to visit them a few times in Edmonton and also host them in our Warsaw office. Very sad for the people affected, but also sad to see a legendary brand go down. Not a great day in the games industry,” he wrote.
Paweł Sasko, associate game director on Cyberpunk 2, said BioWare's Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 "shaped my imagination and the desire to create games." He continued: "I would have never been here without BioWare igniting the fire in my heart. It inspired me, formed me, enriched my imagination, and for that I will be forever grateful. I will always remember you."
inXile boss Brian Fargo, who founded Interplay Entertainment, called it a "sad day indeed." "I remember when BioWare was a small studio that made Shattered Steel for us at Interplay," he said. "We saw the promise in what they could do, and they went on to create Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and become legendary. A sad day indeed. My thoughts are with everyone there today."
Thomas Puha, communications director at Alan Wake and Control developer Remedy, commented: "This was coming but so sad to read. The growing problem for large publishers is that smaller AAA games won’t bring enough money so can’t take the risk on them, but not doing original games? We need those, need new franchises."
BioWare issued a statement of its own on social media, writing: “For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life. Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.
“There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition. What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. These games became so much more because you played them, debated your choices, fell in love with the characters, and made these worlds your own. From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story.”
Mike Gamble, executive producer of Mass Effect at BioWare, told fans in a social media post: "Your support has meant everything to me over the past 17 years at BioWare."
It’s been a tumultuous year for EA; in August, the company went private in a $55 billion acquisition to an investor group comprised of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The Financial Times reported that this deal hinged on the hope that AI would “significantly” cut EA’s operating costs, helping the consortium of private investors to better manage the debt they piled onto the game company.