THE CRUNCH
BioWare, one of the most influential RPG developers of all time, closed suddenly last night, prompting an outpouring of tributes from former staff and rival studios. Roughly 400 people lost their jobs at EA yesterday, including those affected by the closure. Michael Gamble, who served as Mass Effect 5 project director until yesterday's layoffs, thanked people for their support during his 17 years at the company; Eurogamer reports the game has been cancelled.
Former staff led the farewells. Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider said the news was not a surprise "given the industry right now coupled with the Saudi sale", while former Dragon Age and Anthem executive producer Mark Darrah pointed out that EA owns all of BioWare's intellectual property, including Dragon Age and Mass Effect. With nobody now working on a BioWare game within EA, he suggested the company might be more likely to sell those IPs, or alternatively "bury them in the vault".
Rival studios paid tribute too. Larian CEO Swen Vincke, whose Baldur's Gate 3 studio started out at the same time as BioWare, called the loss "almost unimaginable". CD Projekt Red's Michał Nowakowski recalled that BioWare lent the Polish studio its engine for the first Witcher game and gave it a spot at its E3 booth, calling it "a massive part of CDPR history".
The sharpest reaction came from immersive sim veteran Warren Spector, who wrote on LinkedIn that the closure was "utter bullshit" and that "anyone who participated in this travesty should be ashamed". He asked why "the do-ers and makers" always pay the price when studios fail, and suggested executives should lose their jobs instead. PC Gamer noted the outburst is uncharacteristic for the famously mild-mannered Spector, and that EA CEO Andrew Wilson was paid more than $38.5 million in 2026, $8 million more than the year before.