Electronic Arts shuts down BioWare video game studio

Electronic Arts has shut down BioWare, the longtime video game developer behind the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, Fox News reported. The closure ends early development work on the next title in the Mass Effect series. [1]

BioWare was founded in Edmonton, Alberta, by medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip, who pooled about 100,000 dollars to start the business. The studio initially set out to make medical simulation software before shifting to video games. Accounts differ on the founding year, with Wikipedia recording 1994, Grokipedia listing February 1, 1995, and Fox News reporting that the company operated for 31 years. [1][2][3]

The developer established its early reputation after partnering with publisher Interplay Productions for its 1996 debut title Shattered Steel. Its 1998 role playing game Baldur's Gate achieved critical acclaim and sold more than two million copies. [2]

The studio struggled in recent years with critically panned releases including Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, according to Bloomberg reporting cited by Fox News. Its most recent game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, failed to meet internal sales targets, which prompted Electronic Arts to reduce studio staff last year prior to the final closure. [1]