BioWare Shuts Down: Mass Effect 5 Cancelled as EA Closes Legendary Studio

How are you processing the news that BioWare is gone? On October 21, EA announced a major restructuring that included the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of the next Mass Effect game. For many of us, that's a gut punch unlike any other.

BioWare spent 30 years creating some of the most beloved RPGs in history. But its closure was relegated to just a single paragraph in EA's memo to staff. "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," wrote Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO. "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly."

Fans were devastated. Social media overflowed with anger and despair. "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," one fan wrote. Another said, "This is a f**king dagger in my heart. Thank you for being a huge part of my childhood." Some urged EA to sell its IPs: "Please God, PLEASE sell your IPs to another company. Don't let the legacy of Mass Effect and Dragon Age die with these last gory gasps."

Developers also weighed in. Michal Nowakowski, co-CEO of CD Projekt Red, honored BioWare's help 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... Very sad for the people affected, but also sad to see a legendary brand go down." 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."

Brian Fargo, inXile boss and founder of Interplay, called it a "sad day indeed. I remember when BioWare was a small studio that made Shattered Steel for us at Interplay. We saw the promise in what they could do, and they went on to create Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and become legendary." Swen Vincke of Larian said, "Larian and BioWare started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time and BioWare led the way in making RPGs big. It's almost unimaginable that we're now entering an era where the name BioWare won't show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs. What a loss for all of us."

Thomas Puha of Remedy noted the industry trend: "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." Casey Hudson, former BioWare GM and director of the Mass Effect Trilogy, called it "sad news on multiple fronts - for those of us who worked there, for our friends and colleagues at BioWare who are impacted, and for fans who were looking forward to the next Mass Effect adventure." He added, "Its legacy will live on through those who were part of it."

BioWare issued its own statement: "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 do you think about BioWare's closure? Will you be picking up any of their classics in tribute? Let us know in the comments.