BioWare is officially dead

While it is sad that BioWare, a fan-favourite company, has closed down, it isn't shocking. The writing was on the wall for the company, which was clearly a shadow of its former self.

KUALA LUMPUR: BioWare is officially dead. After 31 years in the games industry, the computer role-playing game developer has been shut down by its publisher and owner, Electronic Arts (EA).

The news was made public two months after the completion of EA’s Saudi Arabia takeover.

While it is sad that a fan-favourite company has been shut down, it isn’t shocking, to say the least. The writing was on the wall for a company that was clearly a shadow of its former self.

Keep in mind that the BioWare that made the Baldur’s Gate and Mass Effect games was not the same as the BioWare of 2012 onwards, which tried to recreate the magic and quality of its earlier work but somehow buckled under pressure, scrutiny and publisher control.

Even if EA arguably gave BioWare considerable leeway with production time, the developer still couldn’t deliver with the latest game in the Dragon Age series, Dragon Age: Veilguard.

One could argue that the only really successful game BioWare has created since 2012 was Dragon Age: Inquisition, and that was 12 years ago. Everything the company has made since then has been mediocre at best.

BioWare was a PC-focused, story-driven game developer in the late 1990s and 2000s, and its contributions played a major role in shaping future companies such as CD Projekt Red and Larian Studios. However, those days have long passed, particularly since its co-founders, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, left to pursue other interests.

Short Beats

Despite mixed reviews, Marvel’s Wolverine was the second-best-selling PlayStation 5 title in September, with 2.16 million units sold, trailing EA Sports FC 27.

Despite BioWare’s closure, the Mass Effect TV series is still in production via Amazon.

A data breach has affected more than 11 million Capcom ID accounts, though credit card details are unaffected.

DICE and Respawn are teaming up to make Star Wars: Battlefront 3.

Cyberpunk 2077 has received a new 2.5 update to celebrate the release of the Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 anime. The update added dual-wielding, glamdocs, Cross Platform Mod Support, Night City Tours and a new quest leading up to the show.

We compare the English and Japanese voice dubs of Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2, the latest anime adaptation of the role-playing game series from CD Projekt Red.

Games of the Week

Final Fantasy Resonance is a new HD-2D pixel-art entry in the Japanese role-playing game series. Using remnants of Square Enix’s free-to-play game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, this remake is built as a paid, single-player experience with revamped turn-based battle mechanics and classic Final Fantasy characters that players can equip as powerful spirit allies called Visions. Out for PC and consoles, it is our pick of the week.

Stupid Never Dies is a late-2000s-style 3D action role-playing roguelite featuring B-movie monsters and zombies, as well as copious amounts of levelling up. Play as Davy, a zombie who becomes powerful after eating a Phoenix’s Egg and can shapeshift into different beasts. Traverse various dungeons as he defeats the King of Monsters (KOM) to save his frozen would-be girlfriend, Julia. Out for PC and consoles.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the next entry in the long-running military first-person shooter series. Play as a group of soldiers who must combat an invasion started by North Korea.

One Piece: Grand Gourmet is a restaurant management simulation from Kairosoft and Bandai Namco Entertainment. In the pirate fantasy world of One Piece, play as a chef who works alongside the Straw Hat Crew to make the greatest floating restaurant on the sea.

Demons’ Night Fever is a strategy role-playing game in which you sacrifice your own allies to get stronger via the Peon Exploitation System. Out for PC and consoles.

The Cyberpunk 2077 anime spin-off, Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2, is out now on Netflix. The 10-episode series takes place a year after the events of Cyberpunk 2077 and focuses on a group of characters: aspiring child filmmaker Roman, cybernetically enhanced teenager Talia, former edgerunner Weak Kingsley and revenge-driven nomad D.

Recommended Viewing

Here’s a classic retrospective video focused on the making of 3D fighting game pioneer Virtua Fighter, produced by StrafeFox.