Baldur's Gate 3 Boss Reacts to BioWare Shutdown: 'What a Loss'

Did you ever think you'd see the day when BioWare—the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and the original Baldur's Gate—would close its doors? Yeah, neither did Swen Vincke. The Larian Studios boss, who steered Baldur's Gate 3 to massive success, has spoken out about EA's decision to shut down BioWare, and his reaction is as heartfelt as you'd expect.

The news hit earlier this week: EA is laying off 400 employees following its August acquisition, and as part of that, BioWare is being shuttered. The next Mass Effect? Canceled. It's a gut punch for anyone who grew up on those games, and Vincke didn't hold back on Twitter. "This is not something I ever expected to see," he wrote. "Larian and Bioware started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time and Bioware led the way in making RPGs big."

He's not wrong. BioWare defined a generation of role-playing games. The original Baldur's Gate and its sequel, Shadows of Amn, set a new standard for deep storytelling and party-based combat. Mass Effect took us to space, Dragon Age gave us dark fantasy, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic reminded us why we love a good twist. Larian eventually took over the Baldur's Gate series with 2023's Baldur's Gate 3, but the foundation was laid by BioWare.

Vincke went on to say it's "almost unimaginable" that from now on "the name BioWare won't show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs," adding, "What a loss for all of us." He then thanked the studio for "all the games," "the many hours of gameplay," and "all the stories," before telling the affected developers, "You can be damned proud of what you achieved." He also expressed hope that everyone impacted lands on their feet.

Let's be real—BioWare's recent output hasn't been stellar. Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a famously troubled development, pivoting from a multiplayer project EA requested to a rushed single-player effort. But that doesn't erase decades of influence. BioWare paved the way for games like Baldur's Gate 3, and its closure means another chunk of institutional knowledge vanishes from an already shrinking job market.

So here we are, entering an era where BioWare won't be part of the RPG conversation anymore. It's a strange, sad moment for the industry. What's your favorite BioWare memory? Will you be replaying an old classic in tribute? Let us know in the comments.