EA shuts down BioWare, the gaming studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age

One of the most influential RPG developers of all time is no more.

And just like that, another beloved gaming studio is closing its doors for good.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that powerful video game publisher Electronic Arts is shutting down RPG studio BioWare, which had been around in some form or another since 1995.

This move came as part of a wider layoff of around 400 employees.

According to reporter Jason Schreier, BioWare's headcount at the end was around 50.

Minutes after Bloomberg broke the news, the BioWare X account shared a heartfelt message with gamers: This Tweet is currently unavailable.

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Whether or not you've ever played a BioWare game, you've most likely heard of them or played something inspired by them.

The studio made its name in the late 90s and early 2000s with hit RPGs like the original Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , and Neverwinter Nights.

All of those games, as well as the studio's later works, helped pioneer and popularize storytelling that was shaped by player choices.

SEE ALSO: 'Final Fantasy Resonance' doesn't hit as hard as the classics, but it's still a fun throwback BioWare arguably hit the apex of its popularity in the late 2000s and early 2010s with the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series.

Both franchises saw massive success early on before waning a bit with controversial entries like Andromeda and Veilguard , but you do not have to look far on the internet to find people who love every single game BioWare made.

A new Mass Effect was in the works at BioWare when the studio was shut down, but that title has been canceled, per Bloomberg.

Some gamers will argue that this development was inevitable given the events of the past few years.