Hello, readers. After this column, I’ll get a small break and a six-pack of beer. And sadly, I’ll have to pour one out for a now-deceased studio. Electronic Arts announced the closure of BioWare on October 21, along with the cancellation of the next Mass Effect game. The decision was part of a larger restructuring involving approximately 400 layoffs across EA, including about 50 at BioWare. I’ve worked through a lot of emotions in the aftermath of this and none of them are good.
BioWare was legendary in the world of RPGs. Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, and the eternally underappreciated Jade Empire are just three examples of those RPGs. Now, the studio responsible for so many of my favorite gaming memories is gone. Some of its talented developers may find roles on other teams, while others may even start their own indie studios. I hope they do, but that doesn’t make the loss any less upsetting.
I know the chief editor wanted me to write a heartfelt tribute about how Jade Empire showed me how awesome branching narratives could be. Or how Dragon Age was one of the first Western RPGs I played that proved an open-world adventure could tell an engaging story without making me wander the countryside endlessly (like in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion). Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect let us explore the cosmos in incredible new ways, with memorable companions and decisions that actually mattered. These things are all true, which makes BioWare’s closure even more gut-wrenching.
It’s exhausting to keep watching talented studios disappear. We’ve seen a recurring pattern in which successful developers are acquired by larger publishers, then they attempt to expand into unfamiliar genres or business models, and eventually struggle to meet expectations. BioWare experimented with multiplayer concepts during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard before returning to a single-player focus. The studio also attempted something different with Anthem, its 2019 live-service action RPG. Neither project ultimately delivered the kind of lasting success BioWare needed.
Other developers have suffered similar fates. Arkane Austin, which helped develop Dishonored and created the excellent Prey, released the troubled cooperative vampire shooter Redfall before Microsoft closed the studio in 2024. Monolith Productions, responsible for F.E.A.R. and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, was closed by Warner Bros. Games in 2025. Pandemic Studios, Visceral Games, and Black Box Games are other developers that disappeared under EA’s ownership. The circumstances differed, but the results were the same: talented teams were broken apart.
Readers, I’m rapidly approaching 35 years on this Earth. I’ve watched so many companies get acquired and eventually shuttered. It’s difficult not to worry about what happens to creativity when experienced developers disappear, and the remaining studios face pressure to deliver enormous commercial successes. I understand that games are expensive to make and publishers need to earn money, but the industry also needs studios willing to take chances and that try something different.
That’s what makes losing BioWare so painful. Think about how different RPGs might be without Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect. These weren’t just successful titles. They helped define what players expected from storytelling, companions, and meaningful choices in RPGs. EA still owns those properties. But with BioWare closed and the next Mass Effect canceled, their futures are uncertain.
BioWare’s closure really hit me hard. Hopefully, the amazing people who worked there will find new opportunities to create exciting titles. Job losses are never easy, and the industry has already experienced far too many. I also hope these beloved franchises eventually find their way into the hands of developers who appreciate what made them special.
Whatever happens next, BioWare gave us incredible adventures, unforgettable companions, and worlds that many of us will remember for the rest of our lives. For that, I’ll always be grateful.
