MANILA, Philippines – BioWare, the studio behind Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, said on October 21 that it is closing after more than 30 years.
Early development on the next Mass Effect game is ending. The announcement came as parent company Electronic Arts (EA) cuts about 400 jobs.
The studio began as a side project of doctors. BioWare was founded in 1995 in Edmonton by three medical graduates of the University of Alberta, Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip, who each put in C$100,000 to build their first game. Muzyka and Zeschuk later left medicine to make games full time, while Yip stayed as physician.
What BioWare said
In a statement posted online, BioWare said it had been ‘’a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our world to life.’’ It listed Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Anthem among its titles.
“Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending,” the statement said.
The studio said its focus is on its team and on supporting one another through the transition. It ended by thanking the players for debating their choices, falling in love with the characters and making the games’ worlds their own.
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What the closure means
Electronic Arts (EA) cuts amount to about 3% of its workforce, with roughly 50 Bioware employees affected.
According to EA in January 2025 that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had not sold as well as expected, and Bioware shrank to fewer than 100 employees, leaving a smaller team on the next Mass Effect.
A letter shared with EA employees also says the company is closing Bioware’s Edmonton workspace.
The closure follows EA’s $55 billion take-private deal, led by investors including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
BioWare and EA first released a new Mass Effect at the 2020 Game Awards.
Meanwhile, EA has not said what will happen to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchise.
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