Mass Effect's Next Game Is Officially Dead as EA Ends BioWare's 31-Year Run
One of the most acclaimed video game studios of all time has been shuttered, as Electronic Arts has closed BioWare, as well as canceling the next Mass Effect project, bringing to end a run of over thirty years of classic…
One of the most acclaimed video game studios of all time has been shuttered, as Electronic Arts has closed BioWare, as well as canceling the next Mass Effect project, bringing to end a run of over thirty years of classic titles.
BioWare produced some of the best RPGs of all time, including the original Baldur's Gate and its sequel, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Mass Effect series, and the Dragon Age franchise. Few western developers have created so many iconic games as BioWare, both from original properties and ones connected to established franchises, like Dungeons & Dragons and Star Wars.
EA Has Closed BioWare & Canceled Mass Effect 5
Bloomberg reported that EA had cut hundreds of jobs, which included shutting down BioWare. This has now been confirmed in a post on the official BioWare Twitter/X account, where the staff thanked the fans for their decades of work, and took the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone who enjoyed its games.
The Twitter/X post also confirmed that the shuttering of BioWare has also resulted in the cancelation of the next Mass Effect game, which had been teased for years. Mass Effect 5 was apparently not as far along in production as fans believed, as the post mentioned it was still in the early stages of development, but it now won't see the light of day.
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The Fate of BioWare's Iconic Franchises Is Up in the Air
The question fans now have is what's going to happen to BioWare's homegrown franchises, namely Dragon Age and Mass Effect. It's no secret the last Dragon Age game wasn't the hit EA hoped it would be, especially following years of development hell.
EA still owns the franchises, and it's possible it could farm the licenses out to different studios and have them work on new entries. Fans have long wanted a remake of the first Dragon Age, which would be a great way to inspire interest in the series. The cancellation of Mass Effect 4 is more troubling, as it suggests EA isn't interested in making more games in the BioWare franchises. That being said, it's also possible another company could purchase the rights to them.
It's always sad when a video game studio is shuttered and people lose their jobs, but it's so much when it's a name as big as BioWare, a studio once considered to be untouchable, with many classics under its belt. CBR wants to share its condolences with those who lost their jobs as part of the EA layoffs, and hopes everyone is able to land on their feet as soon as possible.
Video Game(s) Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda First Film Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Created by Casey Hudson Latest Film Mass Effect 0:00 / 0:00