Unfortunate but not unexpected news today that BioWare is being shut down. They were the reason we have western RPGs, with absolute massive hits like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Importantly, they also launched Baldur’s Gate, Jade Empire, and KOTOR.

There are many key points along the years that have been drained for clicks. The departure of Ray & Greg. EA’s meddling with KOTOR. Heck, EA’s meddling in almost everything past 2015! And EA’s final meddle is this cut.

For the good parts, for the clear vision of BioWare RPGs, we must give credit. They managed to fit complex stories that were character driven, with multiple paths, using a semi-modern platform. BG2 was a right miracle and a game I played for nearly 15 years. Mass Effect was revolutionary as a combat RPG. Everyone wanted to be a meatbag. Choices mattered in these games, and you actually felt like you were impacting the story to it’s end, giving you some measure of replayability. I played Dragon Age Origins all sorts of ways, just to tease out all the nooks and crannies for side quests. How many games actually allow you to take out the final bad guy through dialogue?

But let’s also be honest. BioWare died a long time ago, and EA was simply using the label to try to make money. This way, we’ll have the memories (and the games!) that frankly built the modern RPG. Hopefully all these workers can find meaningful work where they are valued. Best of luck!