Mass Effect 5 writers respond after EA announces BioWare closure
GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed
Writers on Mass Effect 5 spoke out on social media after Electronic Arts announced on Oct. 21 that it would close BioWare, Insider Gaming reported. EA said the closure would cut 400 jobs and end work on IPs including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, according to Insider Gaming. Writer Derek Kunsken said he had worked with BioWare on and off for five years on the next Mass Effect and described the project as "really cool," per Insider Gaming. Cat Valente also commented on the situation on social media, Insider Gaming reported.
- What happened: Electronic Arts announced on Oct. 21 that it would close BioWare, a move Insider Gaming reported would cut 400 jobs and bring an end to IPs such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
- Why it matters: Insider Gaming reported that writers attached to Mass Effect 5 publicly described the project as creatively promising—Derek Kunsken said he had worked on the game on and off for five years and called the work "really cool."
- Context: Insider Gaming reported multiple social-media reactions from people involved with Mass Effect 5, including Derek Kunsken and Cat Valente; the coverage is framed as responses following EA's Oct. 21 announcement.
- What next: Insider Gaming did not report any confirmed next steps for the Mass Effect 5 team or for affected BioWare employees after the Oct. 21 announcement.
What changed
Electronic Arts announced on Oct. 21 that it would close BioWare, and Insider Gaming reported the studio closure would cut 400 jobs and end work on IPs including Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Insider Gaming's Oct. 22 story covered social-media reactions from writers who had been working on Mass Effect 5.
Timeline
- Oct. 21: EA announced the closure of BioWare, per Insider Gaming.
- Oct. 22: Insider Gaming published reports of writers' social-media responses.
Limits
- The reporting in Insider Gaming attributes the statements about the game's state and the writers' experiences to the writers themselves; these are their social-media comments rather than independent confirmations.
- Insider Gaming reported that Cat Valente "also spoke about the situation" but the article excerpt does not include the full content of her post.
- Insider Gaming did not report confirmed plans or next steps for the Mass Effect 5 team or the affected BioWare staff.