Bioware Would Have Closed Down if EA Had Not Acquired It, According to Studio Devs

Renegade choices.

Posted By | On 02nd, Apr. 2018

Once upon a time, Bioware was a hugely beloved studio that could do no wrong, and which was delivering one fantastic, critically acclaimed hit upon another. Baldur’s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins, and Mass Effect 2, were just among the many hugely beloved games the studio made in its heyday.

Today’s Bioware is very different—it chases trends instead of setting them, its games are divisive and rarely please fans like they used to back in the day, and with their upcoming game, Anthem, it seems the studio has shed off all remnants of its classic cRPG heritage.

A lot of these changes are blamed on EA’s acquisition of Bioware—fans believe Bioware would never have lost its soul like it did had EA not bought the studio out. But veterans from within Bioware tell an entirely different story. Speaking at Havencon, current and former Bioware employees, including Dragon Age lead writer Patrick Weekes, Bioware’s lead editor Karin Weekes, and David Gaider, ex-lead writer of the Dragon Age series, all claimed that had EA not acquired Bioware, the studio would have been forced to close down.

At that point, Bioware had apparently run out of money—and it was neither this acquisition, or a winding down of operations. All three maintained that EA has a very hands off approach with Bioware regardless.

I suppose, then, that the truth is uglier than the fiction in this case—Bioware didn’t lose its soul because of EA. It chose to forsake all that had made it special of its own accord.

[via Reddit]


Tagged With: ,

Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Keep On Reading!

Nintendo Direct Focused on Switch 1 Games Scheduled for February – Rumour

Nintendo Direct Focused on Switch 1 Games Scheduled for February – Rumour

Full details on the recently-revealed Switch 2 are coming in April, but games for its predecessors are also al...

Sony Bend and Bluepoint Cancellations Won’t Lead to Studio Closures, Sony Says

Sony Bend and Bluepoint Cancellations Won’t Lead to Studio Closures, Sony Says

However, there's no concrete word on whether or not the project cancellations will result in layoffs.

Bluepoint Games’ Mystery Project Has Been Cancelled

Bluepoint Games’ Mystery Project Has Been Cancelled

The project was reportedly a live service spinoff based on God of War, but Sony now confirms that it has been ...

Sony Bend’s Open World Live Service Title Has Been Cancelled

Sony Bend’s Open World Live Service Title Has Been Cancelled

The developer confirmed in 2021 that it had started working on a new IP that would utilize Days Gone's open wo...

Mortal Kombat 1 – Conan the Barbarian Joins the Roster on January 28th, New Gameplay Revealed

Mortal Kombat 1 – Conan the Barbarian Joins the Roster on January 28th, New Gameplay Revealed

Those who own the Khaos Reigns expansion and Kombat Pack 2 can start playing the latest DLC character from Jan...

The First Berserker: Khazan Demo is Now Available, Adds Easy Difficulty

The First Berserker: Khazan Demo is Now Available, Adds Easy Difficulty

Play through the game's first two missions and transfer progress when it launches on March 27th for Xbox Serie...