RIP BioWare: EA shuts down storied RPG studio after over three decades
Next Mass Effect project canceled as parent company lays off 400.
Next Mass Effect project canceled as parent company lays off 400.
The short version
- The legendary studio behind series like Mass Effect , Dragon Age , Neverwinter Nights , and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is no more.
- Following its 1995 founding in Edmonton, Alberta, BioWare first came under the EA umbrella through a 2007 purchase , before Mass Effect and Dragon Age were even a thing.
- At the time, EA’s then-CEO, John Riccitiello, called BioWare one of “the most respected studios in the industry” that would “make a strong contribution to our strategic growth initiatives on quality, online gaming and developing new intellectual properties.
What happened
We also expect this will drive long-term value for our shareholders.” In more recent years, BioWare has also been beset by a number of high-profile departures, including founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk in 2012 and longtime producer Mac Walters in 2023. Executive producer Casey Hudson, who left BioWare in 2014 , ended up returning in 2017 before leaving yet again in 2020 .
Why it matters
The studio has faced its fair share of troubles following those departures, too, including muted critical and fan receptions for games like Mass Effect Andromeda and Dragon Age: The Veilguard .
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.