Edmonton-based video game studio BioWare shutting down after more than 30 years
BioWare, the iconic Canadian video game studio, is shutting down after over 30 years of operation. The closure includes 400 layoffs across the company and the cancellation of the upcoming Mass Effect title.
Why it matters
This marks the end of a legendary developer responsible for genre-defining RPGs and highlights ongoing instability within the gaming industry under corporate ownership.
BioWare announced the closure on social media Wednesday following a report by Bloomberg that also said the company is laying off 400 people, including about 50 at BioWare.
It also confirmed the upcoming Mass Effect game, the fifth in a series since 2007, has been cancelled.
BioWare was founded in 1995 and acquired by Electronic Arts (EA) in 2007.
"It's a pretty sad day," BioWare co-founder Trent Oster told CBC Radio. "I mean, 30 plus years ago we built something I think was pretty awesome. And it's pretty sad to see the end of the dream."
The Redwood Shores, California-based maker of popular titles like Battlefield and The Sims closed the $55 billion US sale of its business to Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF, investment firm Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, which is run by U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
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