The news of BioWare closing down has shaken the industry, bringing about the end of a storied studio and, with it, the prospects of any new Mass Effect game.
BioWare had been in dire straits for a while, since they haven’t had a widely acclaimed title since players were glued to their screens with Dragon Age: Inquisition. The studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age was well ahead of its time with LGBT representation in the love lines of playable characters.
Given the rise in animosity against the LGBT community, many of its players are having a particularly difficult moment with the loss of the biggest studio to always have their back. BioWare regularly scored high among the best places to work for in over the past few years, even after its acquisition by EA.
Long-term fans have questioned why EA didn’t continue with the upcoming Mass Effect and instead just cancelled it after so many years in development. BioWare's representation of LGBT themes has given way to speculation that this played a role in the shuttering, given that a Saudi Arabian equity firm had bought EA in its entirety.
Regardless of what caused EA to pull the plug,...
