Did you hear the news? BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is shutting down after more than 30 years. And yes, that means the next Mass Effect is cancelled too.
The studio confirmed the closure in an online statement, saying it "is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending." The announcement comes shortly after EA was acquired by private investors led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund – a deal that had fans worried about exactly this kind of outcome.
"There is nothing easy about writing those words," BioWare's statement reads. "Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition." The post also shouted out classic series that newer fans might not know: Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. "What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember," the statement continues. "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."
Bloomberg reports that around 400 people will be laid off as a result of the cuts. Internal remarks from EA COO David Tinson and CSO Cam Weber reportedly indicate that the publisher will look to cut additional people and projects in the near future.
BioWare had been struggling for years. Anthem, the mech-suit live-service shooter, was a commercial and critical failure that also pulled staff away from other projects. The studio's latest release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, fell short of EA's expectations by "nearly 50%" after a long development cycle full of pivots and reboots – including a period where BioWare, a single-player specialist, was briefly forced into live-service territory. Former BioWare lead Mark Darrah has attributed The Veilguard's failure to unreasonable expectations from EA.
Last month, it was reported that EA's new owners are considering merging the publisher into a new corporation that would front games for Saudi Arabia, attached to previously acquired mobile giant Scopely. Meanwhile, Xbox is reportedly planning three waves of layoffs between now and January as part of a plan to cut 3,200 jobs by the end of the fiscal year.
It's a sad day for RPG fans. What do you think about BioWare closing its doors? Will you be picking up any of their classics to remember the good times?
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