'We Were Working on a Great Game': Former Mass Effect 5 Writers React as EA Shuts Down BioWare

Former writers for the canceled Mass Effect 5 are going public after Electronic Arts announced it has shut down BioWare, the studio behind the Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate franchises and more than three decades of games. The closure was announced earlier today, and the reactions from people who worked on the unreleased project have started appearing on social media within hours.

The writers' posts share a common thread. Their central message is pride in the work itself. One phrase, "We were working on a great game," has become the headline for the reactions, and it captures how many of them seem to feel: the team believed in what it was building, and that work will now never reach players.

For fans, the news removes the studio that was expected to carry the Mass Effect series forward. The sci-fi role-playing series has a devoted following, and the cancellation of its next entry was already a blow before today's announcement.

This article is based on the first reports of the closure. Further details from EA, including the reasons behind the decision and what happens to BioWare's staff and remaining projects, have not been covered in depth yet, and more information is likely to follow.