BioWare shuts down after three decades, cancels next 'Mass Effect' game

BioWare, the video game studio behind popular titles such as "Baldur's Gate", "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect", has announced its closure after three decades, with the move also leading to the cancellation of its upcoming "Mass Effect" instalment.

The studio announced the decision in a statement posted on its official Facebook page yesterday (21 October), amid expected job cuts at its parent company, Electronic Arts (EA).

BioWare also developed "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" and "Star Wars: The Old Republic". The studio became known for its role-playing games, which emphasised storytelling, character development and romance options that allowed players to shape their experiences.

"What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember," the studio said in its statement. "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."

The studio was in the early stages of developing its fifth "Mass Effect" game. The original trilogy, released between 2007 and 2012, earned critical acclaim for its world-building and space-opera storytelling.

Electronic Arts is expected to carry out limited layoffs as part of cost-cutting measures. In August, the company completed a deal to sell itself to a group of private investors for around $55 billion. The group includes an investment firm managed by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

Cam Weber, EA's president and chief studio officer, and David Tinson, the company's president and chief operating officer, described BioWare as a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing game genre, adding that the decision was not taken lightly.

BioWare's closure marks the end of a studio whose narrative-driven games helped shape the role-playing genre over three decades. Meanwhile, "Baldur's Gate 3", developed by Larian Studios, sold more than 10 million copies following its 2023 release and gained recognition for its character-driven storytelling and romance options.