The official closure of BioWare has sparked nostalgia and regret among many players, but not everyone sees it as a tragedy worth mourning. Some argue that the core talent behind the Mass Effect trilogy and the classic Dragon Age games left long ago, and today’s BioWare exists in name only.
The performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard further dampens confidence in the new Mass Effect. Instead of mourning a studio that is nothing but a brand name, pay attention to the developers who left BioWare and are creating new works. Below is a popular social media post where the author shows no pity for BioWare's death, but rather celebrates it.
BioWare died long ago—it passed away years ago. Stop mourning a corpse you never really knew.
Let me say something no one seems willing to say openly on the internet: The BioWare that closed today is not the BioWare you once loved. They barely share any bloodline. It’s like the Ship of Theseus—every plank, every beam, and the entire crew have been replaced, and then they slapped the old name back on the hull before crashing into an iceberg.
So, when I see people posting tributes, writing sentimental essays lamenting that "an era has ended" and "the gaming industry will never be the same," I have only one question: Which era are you missing? Because the era you’re talking about ended around 2012. Most of the people crying about it now were either still in diapers or acting like children back then.
The people who truly made these games great left long ago.
This is the point everyone deliberately avoids. The Mass Effect trilogy and the early Dragon Age games weren't miracles that appeared out of thin air. They were crafted by specific, talented, and passionate individuals. Most of these people left BioWare years ago, some even forced out. This includes writers, designers, directors, and composers.
The people who truly understood why these games succeeded have long since left the studio to pursue other projects. Many even started their own studios simply because they wanted to make the games they loved, which BioWare no longer allowed them to do.
All that remains is a corporate shell wearing the skin of a classic brand, like a person in a human-skin suit. The logo is the same, but the works are no longer what they used to be.
The new Mass Effect would have ruined the series no matter what.
Here’s the sharper point: The new Mass Effect was cancelled? Good riddance. Who cares? We already knew what it would have turned into, because we just saw a preview.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard not only failed to continue the series' glory but completely ruined it. The game stripped away the IP’s original charm, resulting in a sanitized, unbearable DEI lecture. It turned a once-edgy world into a toothless, talkative theme park.
This is the ceiling of BioWare’s current creative capability. And this is the studio that was supposed to create the new Mass Effect. For the sake of the series, the best outcome would be for the next game to never see the light of day.
Because a bad Mass Effect game doesn’t just disappoint you for a weekend. It tarnishes the previous excellent entries. It becomes something fans have to explain and defend, part of the series' canon, and the latest impression left by the franchise.
A cancelled game leaves only mysteries; a bad game leaves a scar.
Meanwhile, truly talented developers are creating better work.
Many of the developers who truly made Mass Effect great are now working on EXODUS™, and that game looks absolutely stunning.
Not the kind of impressive where you say, "It's pretty good for a crowdfunded spiritual successor," or "Considering the budget, this is remarkable." No, it’s genuinely excellent.
It’s better than anything BioWare was developing at the time, and by a significant margin. The facts are clear: The real talent didn’t disappear; they just moved elsewhere. They didn’t stay at BioWare because it was no longer a place where talent wanted to be.
This is the crux of the issue. If you want to find the true successor to Mass Effect, don’t look at the familiar logo; follow the people who actually created it. For over a decade, this brand has been consuming its accumulated reputation.
I’m not sad; I’m happy.
I feel no regret over BioWare's closure; in fact, I’m genuinely happy about it. Absolutely thrilled. It’s high time the overdue bills were paid.
This isn't a tragedy at all. It’s more like a house that had structural issues back in the Obama administration, which was rented out to strangers for years, and has finally been repossessed by the bank.
I hope the same thing happens to a whole host of other studios that are coasting on past glory, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog.exe, Ubisoft, Halo Studios, The Coalition, and many others.
Without exception, they are all profiting off a brand name whose reputation was not earned by the current employees.
Especially Ubisoft, whose problems are beyond debate—it was bound to happen. But Naughty Dog.exe hasn’t made the kind of games people remember for over a decade; Insomniac has become a Marvel game content factory; and Halo Studios just changed its name to pretend it’s starting over.
The process is always the same:
Once-beloved studio → Founders and core talent leave → Brand is acquired or hollowed out → Sequels underperform → Players feign shock when the next title gets even worse → Social media fills with lamentations that "an era has ended."
And so the cycle continues.
At some point, people need to stop being surprised.
Those mourning are both ignorant and blind.
So yes, those crying over BioWare’s death almost universally never truly understood what was left of the studio. They just saw the familiar logo and felt a wave of nostalgia.
They are mourning an atmosphere, a memory, and a version of the studio that no longer exists. For some of them, that version of BioWare vanished before they even had a Steam account.
And next time, they’ll do it again, and the time after that too. Because they refuse to accept the most basic truth of the gaming industry: A studio is not the same as the people who actually make the games, and the name on the box is not a promise.
BioWare is dead, and has been for a long time. Its current closure is just bureaucracy finally catching up with reality.
If lighting a candle makes you feel better, go ahead. But at the same time, you should also feel happy.
This is actually a good outcome. The truly talented developers have successfully moved on to create better work, and this lifeless shell is finally being laid to rest.