Iconic video game studio BioWare announces closure as industry struggles

Video game studio BioWare announced it would close on Wednesday, marking an end to the organization that released some of the most popular video games in history.

Among the top titles from BioWare were Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Baldur's Gate series, and Mass Effect. 

"For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and players who brought our worlds to life," the statement read. "Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending."

Comments on the studio's X post were generally negative, with many users blaming the company's recent release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a fantasy RPG that attracted negative publicity for its inclusion of transgender and left-wing political themes. The release received mixed reviews on Steam. The prior installment of the series, Dragon Age Inquisition, received mostly positive reviews.

Player and online pushback against the inclusion of social and political themes has persisted for more than a decade, with "Gamergate" launching a loose boycott movement that has enjoyed some sporadic successes.

BioWare did not explicitly state the reason for its closure.

The company is owned by Electronic Arts.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.