It’s a Bleak Day for Dragon Age and Mass Effect Fans. BioWare deserved better.
After 30 years, EA has officially shut down BioWare, the studio behind some of the most critically acclaimed RPG franchises like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect.
Electronic Arts bought BioWare in 2007, and 19 years later, EA laid off 400 employees, shrinking the studio to fewer than 100 people. The company shut down the studio along with all its projects, including a new Mass Effect game nicknamed Mass Effect 5. A former employee leaked the trailer for the cancelled game, which will sadly never be released.
BioWare has put out the following statement upon its closure on X.com
BioWare had a hard time finding another hit after Dragon Age: Inquisition, which won multiple Game of the Year awards. Later releases like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem, and Dragon Age: Veilguard got mixed reviews and couldn’t match the success of their earlier games.
EA has released a press statement titled “Building EA’s Next Chapter.” In the newsletter, the gaming giant announced that it will be focusing heavily on its most profitable franchises, including Battlefield and EA Sports titles. Following the success of Battlefield 6, EA also revealed that DICE and Respawn will collaborate on an upcoming shooter game.
The saddest news in the newsletter is that EA is halting early development on a new Mass Effect project and shutting down BioWare along with its Edmonton workspace. EA calls the decision difficult, recognizing BioWare’s historic impact on shaping the RPG genre.