BioWare, the Edmonton-based video game studio behind titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age, is closing after more than 30 years in operation, the company announced in a social media post.
The studio said development of its upcoming Mass Effect game would also stop as a result of the shutdown. “There is nothing easy about writing those words,” BioWare’s post read, adding that its focus was on supporting its staff through the transition.
Parent Company EA Cuts Jobs
The closure follows an announcement from parent company Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) that it would lay off around 400 employees, roughly three percent of its total workforce, including about 50 members of BioWare’s staff, according to Bloomberg News. EA has owned BioWare since acquiring the studio in 2007.
The cuts come after a period of turbulence at EA, which went private in August following a $55-billion USD (about $77-billion CAD) leveraged buyout.
A Studio’s Long Decline
BioWare was founded in 1995 and at its peak employed more than 400 people. Before the shutdown, its staff had shrunk to around 100. The studio’s trajectory tracked the performance of its games, with recent entries in its Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises underperforming compared to earlier releases.
Wider Pressure on Canada’s Gaming Industry
BioWare’s closure adds to a string of setbacks for Canada’s video game sector. Earlier this year, Ubisoft closed its Winnipeg and Halifax studios, laying off more than 100 employees. The end of one of the industry’s best-known Canadian studios raises questions about the financial viability of major game franchises and what further disruption could follow for Canada’s games industry.
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