Publisher EA shocked fans and industry veterans alike earlier this week with its 400-person layoff, notably including the closure of the legendary RPG studio, BioWare.
Many people have shared their thoughts on the matter, with almost everybody lamenting the move from EA, but it’s worth highlighting this commentary from Swen Vincke, CEO at fellow RPG developer Larian Studios.
Like most of us, Vincke is saddened by the news, especially as his team and BioWare shared a lot in common:
“Larian and Bioware started their trajectories in the games industry at the same time and Bioware led the way in making RPGs big,” he says. “It’s almost unimaginable that we’re now entering an era were the name Bioware won’t show up anymore when discussing upcoming RPGs. What a loss for all of us.”
Indeed, BioWare is only slightly older than Larian; both were founded in the mid-90s.
The former made a name for itself pretty early on with the first two Baldur’s Gate games as well as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, before finding further success with Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Meanwhile, Larian’s trajectory has been more gradual, slowly building a good reputation with its Divinity series before taking the reins on Baldur’s Gate, which catapulted it into the limelight.
“Thank you for all the games,” Vincke says. “Thank you for the many hours of gameplay. Thank you for all the stories. You can be damned proud of what you achieved. I hope you all land well.”
