EA recently announced that RPG giant BioWare would be ceasing all involvement on the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic in favor of focusing on Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The move didn't come as a massive shock to fans, as all future development on Anthem had already been canceled in 2021, signaling an intention from EA for BioWare to focus its development efforts on its two biggest franchises.
BioWare concentrating its resources on Mass Effect and Dragon Age has its advantages and drawbacks, with the advantages being that fans can expect to see more of these incredibly popular and well-written franchises without the missteps of Mass Effect: Andromeda. These franchises have always been single-player experiences, and it's in this domain that BioWare shines as a developer. Rather than having resources diverted to new MMO IPs such as Anthem or developing new multiplayer components of single-player games, BioWare can instead be expected to concentrate on what it does best.
BioWare's Struggles Left Its Future Uncertain
EA's strategy of making BioWare transition to developing MMOs instead of the single-player games it had built its reputation on backfired when it left Mass Effect hanging in favor of pouring resources into Anthem. The result was Mass Effect: Andromeda's release to lukewarm reviews criticizing poor animation and a story that disappointed fans. Developer support for Mass Effect shortly ended because of its shaky launch, and the community anticipated the end of the franchise as BioWare were working towards Anthem's release.
Anthem's launch, however, turned out even worse than Andromeda's, with reviews from critics and fans alike criticizing the bugs, loot, and a boring story. Anthem's lackluster story was the worst knock of all, as it was a departure from BioWare's hallmark of gripping storytelling. As Anthem had all of BioWare's best on the team, EA realized there was a fundamental problem and action had to be taken, which was seen in the reboot of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's production from a multiplayer to fully single-player game.
BioWare Needs Both a Comfort Zone and New Ideas
Anthem's disastrous launch seemed to spook EA, and while the commitment to Mass Effect and Dragon Age as single-player experiences is a step in the right direction, BioWare cannot remain a two IP company forever. It needs to be able to branch out creatively. It's hard to remember that BioWare started out by exclusively creating video games based on the IPs of other companies, such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights. Today, BioWare is a developer that is very good at creating IPs when given the time to do so, allowed to work with the technology designed for the games it develops, and working within the genres it specializes in.
Limiting BioWare to its two successful IPs will be stifling an incredibly successful studio filled with creative talent, and would be a massive loss to the industry. The best case scenario for BioWare at this stage would be for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and Mass Effect 4 to have successful launches, after which EA could give BioWare the time, resources, technology, and staff to develop a new single-player IP. This would give BioWare the space to expand its successful IPs, all while letting the studio develop as a leader in the industry rather than remaining stagnant.
Fans of BioWare don't want to see their favorite franchises disappear, and news of more Mass Effect and Dragon Age was received with enthusiasm. BioWare seems to have entered a new phase as a studio and its direction seems to be more positive than it's been in years, but there is some way to go before fans of the studio can rest easy that all is well.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.