BioWare's Closure Has Frustrated Gaming's Biggest Names
Yesterday, Electronic Arts shuttered BioWare and canceled Mass Effect 4. The news sent shockwaves around the world, proving that no studio is safe, given BioWare's long and storied history. It had created games like…
Yesterday, Electronic Arts shuttered BioWare and canceled Mass Effect 4. The news sent shockwaves around the world, proving that no studio is safe, given BioWare's long and storied history. It had created games like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate.
As the dust begins to settle on the closure, many of gaming's biggest names have spoken out on the impact the studio had on them and their work, and they've eulogized it in the best possible way.
Larian, CD Projekt Red, And Geoff Keighley Have All Spoken Out Following BioWare's Closure
After the deal that saw a Saudi Arabia-led consortium of investors acquire EA, we suggested trouble might follow. The purchase came with $20 billion in debt, and the new owners would always look for a way to claw that back. Clearly, closing BioWare was one way to do that.
That closure rocked the gaming world, given just how prestigious and prolific the studio has been over the last 30 years, and some of gaming's biggest names have reacted to the news.
The second game BioWare ever produced was Baldur's Gate. It spawned a beloved series of D&D-inspired games, with the most recent release, Baldur's Gate 3, from Larian, which won massive critical acclaim and multiple Game of the Year awards. Larian head Swen Vincke paid a touching tribute, saying:
"This is not something I ever expected to see. Larian and Bioware started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time and Bioware led the way in making RPGs big. It's almost unimaginable that we're now entering an era were the name Bioware won't show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs. What a loss for all of us.
"Thank you for all the games. Thank you for the many hours of gameplay. Thank you for all the stories . You can be damned proud of what you achieved."
In August, Vincke said he wasn't sure Mass Effect's latest title would ever be released.
Michał Nowakowski, CEO of CD Projekt Red, creators of The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, shared his thoughts on the closure. He said:
Bioware has been a massive part of CDPR history. We befriended them when localizing and selling Baldur’s Gate games in Poland, Czech, and Slovakia. And later they were great help when lending us their engine for Witcher 1, sharing their wisdom and even giving us a spot at their booth at E3. I had a pleasure to visit them a few times in Edmonton and also host them in our Warsaw office. Very sad for the people affected, but also sad to see a legendary brand go down. Not a great day in the games industry.
A second CDPR employee, Satoru Homma, associate country director for Japan and producer of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, revealed how BioWare helped the show come to be.
I love Dragon Age: Origins so much that I absolutely had to get it localized into Japanese, so back when I was at Spike, I reached out to BioWare and made it happen. The BioWare rep at the time, Richard, appreciated my work and introduced Spike to CD PROJEKT, which led to us publishing the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2 at Spike. That connection paved the way to The Witcher 3, and here we are today. BioWare is the company that changed my life. Without BioWare, we might not have even had Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Truly, thank you for all your hard work.
Casey Hudson, who directed BioWare titles like KOTOR and Mass Effect, left the company in 2020. He's now working on a KOTOR spiritual successor, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, and shared his thoughts on his former studio's closure:
This is sad news on multiple fronts - for those of us who worked there, for our friends and colleagues at BioWare who are impacted, and for fans who were looking forward to the next Mass Effect adventure.
I started my career at BioWare and will forever be grateful to the founders, Greg and Ray, for inviting me to join in BioWare's legendary journey. Its legacy will live on through those who were part of it and continue to create games through a passion for unforgettable stories, worlds and characters.
Geoff Keighley, whose showcase unveiled Mass Effect 4, was another to pay tribute to the fallen studio. He said:
Heartbreaking to hear of the closure of BioWare and the next Mass Effect ending development.
I had so much fun collaborating with Casey and the team on the Mass Effect teaser in 2020 -- during the height of COVID. I hope one day, somehow, Mass Effect will return.
Jennifer Hale, the iconic voice of FemShep, was joined by Mark Meer, who voiced the male version of Commander Shepard. She lamented that companies are consuming companies, turning gaming into "one big blob." The two chatted for 30 minutes, reminiscing about their time at the studio and sharing how upset they were, and the video is well worth a watch.
RIP BioWare.