BioWare closes, but there's hope for Mass Effect

On Wednesday, EA announced the closure of BioWare, the award-winning studio behind Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect.

I belatedly discovered the Mass Effect franchise after winning an XBOX 360 S in 2012. BioWare's stellar space opera drew inspiration from Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek and Star Wars. Mass Effect 2 is the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back of video games - a hill I'm prepared to die on.

Behind the shiny space-age sheen, the original Mass Effect trilogy was, at its core, a tale of found family in the darkest of times. Jennifer Hale will always be Commander Shepard. Joker, played by Seth Green, was the first video game character I could identify with as a paraplegic...

Read the official statement from BioWare:

"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."

My thoughts are with all those affected.

EA has massive debt and should sell the Dragon Age, Jade Empire and Mass Effect IPs to a studio like Larian Studios or CD Projekt Red. Mass Effect 5 could still be saved with stewardship from a developer that nurtures character-driven role-playing games.

While development of Mass Effect 5 may have ended, hope remains for the beloved sci-fi franchise. According to IGN, Prime Video is proceeding with a live-action series following the success of Fallout. The series has been in development since 2024.

What are your favourite BioWare video games? Let me know in the comments below.