‘What a Loss for All of Us’: Boss of Baldur’s Gate 3 Maker Reacts to BioWare Closure
EA’s reported closure of BioWare as part of a 400-person round of job cuts has prompted a tribute from Swen Vincke, head of Larian Studios, the maker of Baldur’s Gate 3. He called the loss of BioWare from the field of upcoming role-playing games “almost unimaginable” and said the studio had helped make the genre popular.
Vincke noted that Larian and BioWare were founded around the same time in the mid-1990s, but BioWare became influential early through the first two Baldur’s Gate games and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It later found success with Dragon Age and Mass Effect, while Larian built its reputation gradually through the Divinity series before Baldur’s Gate 3 brought it wider recognition. Vincke thanked BioWare’s staff for their games and stories and wished them well.
In short
- EA’s cuts include the closure of BioWare.
- Swen Vincke says the RPG industry has lost a major influence.
- BioWare’s games helped shape the genre over several decades.
Explained simply
BioWare is a video game studio known for role-playing games, in which players guide characters through a story and make choices that can affect what happens. Founded in the mid-1990s, it made the first two Baldur’s Gate games, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Larian Studios, the maker of Baldur’s Gate 3, also began in the mid-1990s and built its profile through the Divinity games. BioWare’s games helped bring story-led role-playing games to a wide audience, so the studio’s place in the genre matters to players and the people who make these games.