As a dedicated gamer, I’ve witnessed the legendary journey of BioWare, one of the most renowned video game developers in the Western world. From the late ’90s through the 2000s, they were unstoppable, releasing hit after hit, with epic series such as Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age under their belt.
However, over the past decade, the studio seems to have lost its spark, failing to recapture the magic that once propelled it to greatness. This is evident in new intellectual properties like Anthem and newer installments in beloved franchises such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard. As we await Mass Effect 5, it feels like a pivotal moment for BioWare, with Electronic Arts’ potential axe looming ominously overhead.
BioWare’s last commercially successful game was “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” released in 2014. Since then, games like “Mass Effect: Andromeda,” “Anthem,” and the latest “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” have not met expectations, resulting in several rounds of layoffs at the studio. Most recently, in January 2025, Electronic Arts significantly reduced the size of BioWare, leaving fewer than 100 employees, following a reduction of about 50 employees in 2023.
Considering all the upheaval, it’s reasonable to argue that Mass Effect 5 could be the most crucial project the development team has ever undertaken. Whether Electronic Arts would shutter the studio after another financial disappointment is uncertain, but it seems certain that there will at least be significant adjustments ahead.
Earlier this year, EA’s Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Wilson, mentioned that one issue with The Veilguard was its offline, single-use nature. In a call with investors, Wilson stated that to appeal to a wider audience, games should offer features like shared worlds and more immersive engagement, along with strong narratives, as these are aspects that players are increasingly seeking in the popular genre of which The Veilguard is a part.
In a different approach, it’s clear that BioWare stumbled when experimenting with the shared-world concept in Anthem. Consequently, they moved towards developing a more traditional, story-centric single-player game called Dragon Age: The Veilguard. While
It’s worth noting that there are some advantages for it, with the most significant one being the engine upgrade. Since the release of Mass Effect 3 in 2013, BioWare has been using EA’s Frostbite engine, which they have found challenging to maximize its potential. Despite the success of Inquisition, it seems that they have had difficulties delivering on this technology.
It’s not all that unexpected that frostbite has posed challenges for several studios under EA. Their sports titles are particularly well-known, but if the studio isn’t DICE, they’ve likely encountered some technical issues with the engine initially designed for the Battlefield series.
It’s fortunate that instead of Frostbite, BioWare is opting for Unreal Engine 5 for Mass Effect 5. This is good news for fans since the original three Mass Effect games were developed using Unreal. Unreal Engine is a well-known and widely used industry standard, making it simpler to find experienced developers who are already familiar with its workings. Additionally, there’s a larger community working with Unreal, which makes it easier to get help when needed.
Having a new engine by itself might not be a significant factor. After all, there are many poorly made games that utilize Unreal Engine. Just glance at Steam’s weekly release list as evidence. Yet, the return of several seasoned developers from BioWare to ME5 significantly boosts its prospects for success.
Prominently known among them is Mike Gamble, serving as both executive producer and project director for ME5. He previously held an associate producer position in ME3 and contributed to ME2 as well. Derek Watts, art director of ME5, has also filled this role throughout the original trilogy. Parrish Ley, our creative director, was the lead cinematic animator across all three initial Mass Effect games, while Preston Watamaniuk, the game director for ME5, served as the lead designer in the original trilogy.
It’s clear that several key figures from the beloved Mass Effect trilogy are connected with Mass Effect 5. While this doesn’t automatically ensure success, it certainly increases the odds of success compared to if they weren’t involved. Add to that the fact that they’re using an engine that’s more developer-friendly, and BioWare is in a strong position over the next few years to rekindle interest among fans of the original games, while also attracting new players who haven’t experienced the series yet.
It’s wonderful to hear good news about BioWare, as they could use a success. They haven’t had one in over ten years, and their parent company, Electronic Arts, has shut down several beloved studios before. Let’s hope BioWare doesn’t become the next Pandemic Studios, Visceral Games, Mythic Entertainment, and so on, but to avoid that fate, they must likely take a significant stride forward with Mass Effect 5 and demonstrate their ability to create outstanding single-player games that fans are eager to purchase.
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2025-08-03 20:10