The legendary studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is closing. BioWare announced via social media that “after more than three decades of shared adventures, Bio Ware is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.” The announcement followed a Bloomberg report detailing 400 job cuts across parent company Electronic Arts, including 50 at BioWare.
“Across our portfolio, we’re making deliberate choices to align talent and investments where we see the greatest opportunities for players and long-term growth,” EA executives wrote to staff. The studio, founded in 1995 in Edmonton, Alberta, joined EA through a 2007 acquisition. At the time, EA CEO John Riccitiello praised BioWare as one of “the most respected studios in the industry.”
EA went private last year via a $55 billion deal led by Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. Analysts predicted layoffs and studio closures as the heavily debt-ridden company shifted focus toward live services, annual sports franchises, and microtransactions.
The closure marks the end of a storied era in RPG development spanning over three decades.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing