BioWare shuts down after three decades as Electronic Arts cuts jobs

Edmonton-based video game developer BioWare is shutting down after more than 30 years in business, Yahoo News Canada reported. The studio closure comes as parent company Electronic Arts carries out a series of internal layoffs, according to Yahoo News Canada. [1]

As FTMQ Gaming reported earlier, publisher Electronic Arts closed the Edmonton studio and canceled the next entry in the Mass Effect series, titled Mass Effect Universe. The publisher laid off an estimated 400 employees during the restructuring, while leaked pre-production footage and a trailer for the canceled game later surfaced on Reddit. [4][5]

Physicians Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip founded BioWare on February 1, 1995, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, after meeting during their medical studies at the University of Alberta. The studio previously developed the online multiplayer action role-playing game Anthem, which Electronic Arts published for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on February 22, 2019. [2][3]

Avi Lewis, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, has proposed that the Canadian government provide financial assistance to help former BioWare staff buy the studio back from Electronic Arts, as FTMQ Gaming reported earlier. [4]