■BioWare BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 in Edmonton, Alberta, by Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip, and acquired by Electronic Arts in 2007. The studio is famous for narrative-driven role-playing games, including Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age
If you’re a video game enthusiast, like I am, you may have heard that video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has let go 400 employees, and closed the entire BioWare game developer down. I’m sorry, but what a sh***y way to go, for this influential game studio. Sure, I’ll confess that the current BioWare is not the same as they once were, and I hated Dragon Age: Veilguard (I eventually purchased it after waiting for a sale)… but still, I’ve always had hope that the company would turn around.
So, what happened? Most people are blaming Donald Trump, because his son-in-law, Jared Kushner via his investment firm Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners bought EA in a $55 billon sale. Yeah, what does that idiot know about video games? I think it was a mistake that they are closing BioWare… but all they can think about is profit and earnings.
With BioWare’s closure, the upcoming Mass Effect game was cancelled. To be terribly honest, despite the fact that I own all the Mass Effect games, I wasn’t really looking forward to the next adventure. I would have preferred if they fixed what was wrong with Dragon Age and bring it back to greatness. After all, my personal games of the year was the original Dragon Age (2009) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014).
My personal discovery or aware of BioWare was that all the games I was playing in 1998-2000: Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II, Planescape, Icewind Dale – they were all using the BioWare game engine. Even though I liked Mass Effect 2, when they released the original Dragon Age – wow that game was next level! It’s really a shame that the sequel to Dragon Age was pretty awful (because the game play was entirely different).
Bioware Statement below (note they forgot about Jade Empire):
For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the players who brought our worlds to life.
Baldur’s Gate. Neverwinter Nights. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Anthem.
Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.
There is nothing easy about writing those words. Our focus right now is on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.
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.
From all of us at BioWare, thank you for being the most meaningful part of our story.
BioWare™
Although I own most of BioWare’s games on physical discs, I’ve compiled all the BioWare games that I own on digital in a collage. I know I’m missing some games, like Knights of the Old Republic, but that’s because I’m not a Star Wars guy and didn’t like the original Old Republic game.
Anyway, with the sad news, I think perhaps I should finally get around to finishing Veilguard and/or replay the original Dragon Age.
■ BioWare 
