BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Jade Empire, has been shut down by Electronic Arts. The once-iconic developer confirmed the closures in an X post yesterday evening, adding that “early development on the next Mass Effect is ending.”
The once-unthinkable move is a result of EA restructuring in the wake of its shift to private ownership. There are, at present, no deeper reasons for the closure. BioWare’s recent performance hasn’t come close to its best years, when Dragon Age: Origins and the Mass Effect trilogy drove the studio’s popularity.
Bye, BioWare
The last three releases from the studio were Dragon Age: Veilguard, a Mass Effect trilogy remaster, and the ill-fated Anthem. Of the three, Veilguard was the final nail in the company’s coffin. It dramatically underperformed compared to every other Dragon Age title. Hell, it underperformed compared to some indie game releases. Nobody… really likes to talk about Veilguard. 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda fared better but couldn’t measure up to the original trilogy.
The studio said, “What generations of BioWare built together is something to celebrate and remember. 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 sentiment is broadly correct, even if BioWare’s quality has dropped markedly over the last decade. Players and commenters are alternatively mourning or mocking the studio, but those are mostly personal feelings at play. BioWare’s ability to generate sales had fallen below Electronic Arts’ acceptable threshold, meaning the studio now joins the likes of Maxxis, Bullfrog, Black Box, Westwood, Pandemic, and others on the shutdown pile.
