BioWare has announced significant changes in its operations following the disappointing results of its latest release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which attracted the attention of 1.5 million players, well below the 3 million expected by EA. In a statement, Gary McKay, general manager of BioWare, commented that the studio is “changing the way we build games” to ensure the highest quality standards. The problem: the company’s unrealistic expectations. As part of this restructuring, a core team at BioWare is already working on the next Mass Effect title, while other members of the […]
BioWare has announced significant changes in its operations after the disappointing results of its latest release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which attracted the attention of 1.5 million players, far below the 3 million expected by EA. In a statement, Gary McKay, general manager of BioWare, commented that the studio is “changing the way we build games” to ensure the highest quality standards.
The Problem: The Company’s Unrealistic Expectations
Within this restructuring, a core team at BioWare is already working on the next Mass Effect title, while other members of the studio are being reassigned to different EA teams. However, it has not yet been confirmed if there were any layoffs associated with these changes. The director of The Veilguard, Corinne Busch, has left the company, adding uncertainty to the current situation of the studio.
McKay added that, given the early stage of development of the new Mass Effect, the studio does not require the full support of all staff. This move aims to transform BioWare into a more agile studio focused on creating memorable RPGs. “We appreciate your support as we build a new future for BioWare,” McKay stated in the same release.
Despite some notable successes, such as Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare has faced a series of failures in recent years, including Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, games that failed to meet fans’ expectations. With the release of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition in 2021, the studio received positive reviews, but persistent challenges seem to have led to an urgent need for internal review.
In this context, it remains to be seen how these structural changes will affect the development of future titles and if they will be able to regain the trust of players, at a time when competition in the video game industry is intense.
En una semana inusual para BioWare, Electronic Arts (EA) ha revelado en su reciente informe financiero trimestral que las ventas de Dragon Age: The Veilguard han estado un 50% por debajo de las expectativas para el tercer trimestre del año fiscal 2025. Esta noticia llega poco después de la renuncia voluntaria de Corinne Busche, directora del juego, quien cuenta con 18 años de experiencia en EA, y quien dejó la compañía menos de tres meses tras el lanzamiento tan esperado de la secuela.
Además, han surgido rumores no confirmados sobre un posible cierre del estudio BioWare en Edmonton, aunque fuentes de la industria, como Jeff Grubb, han desmentido tales especulaciones. Mientras tanto, Michael Gamble, director del proyecto Mass Effect 5, tranquilizó a los fanáticos al asegurar que el desarrollo del RPG está en buenas manos.
En el informe, el CEO de EA, Andrew Wilson, comentó sobre el desempeño de Dragon Age: The Veilguard y EA SPORTS FC 25, ambos por debajo de las expectativas de ingresos netos. “Durante el tercer trimestre, continuamos ofreciendo juegos y experiencias de alta calidad en nuestra cartera; sin embargo, Dragon Age y EA SPORTS FC 25 no cumplieron con nuestras expectativas”, manifestó Wilson. A pesar de las dificultades actuales, expresó confianza en una recuperación a largo plazo, anticipando un regreso al crecimiento en el año fiscal 2026 gracias a futuros lanzamientos.
No es el final para BioWare: Mass Effect resiste y sus ex-desarrolladores fructiferan
Por su parte, el veterano de BioWare, Mark Darrah, que dejó el estudio en 2021, indicó que Mass Effect 5 aún no se encuentra en una etapa que permita ofrecer trabajo a un gran número de desarrolladores. En un momento en que la industria de los videojuegos enfrenta despidos significativos, con EA dejando ir a cerca de 700 empleados en febrero de 2024, la situación de BioWare resulta preocupante. Al parecer, el estudio está muy motivado para lograr un gran éxito con Mass Effect 5.
Por último, ex-desarrolladores de BioWare están trabajando en un nuevo RPG titulado Exodus, que promete que las decisiones de los jugadores afectarán a los personajes a lo largo del tiempo, generando un elevado impacto emocional en la narrativa.
Mass Effect is one of the most beloved modern RPGs by the general public. Its setting, characters, and romance possibilities made it extremely popular. That’s why it shouldn’t surprise us that someone decided to imitate them. And that the person who did so also worked at Bioware, the company that made the Mass Effect games. Although the games they have under their belt are even more legendary. Wizards of the Coast, famous for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering, have released the first gameplay trailer for their next video game: Exodus. Developed by their internal studio, Archetype Entertainment, the most […]
Mass Effect is one of the most beloved modern RPGs by the general public. Its setting, characters, and romance possibilities made it extremely popular. Therefore, it should not surprise us that someone decided to imitate them. And that the person who did so also worked at Bioware, the company that made the Mass Effect games. Although the games they have under their belt are even more legendary.
Wizards of the Coast, famous for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering, have released the first gameplay trailer for their next video game: Exodus. Developed by their internal studio, Archetype Entertainment, the most interesting aspect is who is directing it. The game is led by James Ohlen in collaboration with Certain Affinity.
Ohlen is not exactly new to video games. Having worked for two decades at Bioware, he was one of the first names associated with Archetype Entertainment when its creation was announced in 2020. And what is his importance? He was the creative director and game designer of some legendary role-playing games. Big names like Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, or Dragon Age: Origins bear his signature. This makes him a very interesting person to produce an RPG.
Additionally, Exodus has a very interesting premise. Our mission is to steal the technology of the Celestials, almost divine beings who live in the depths of space. The twist is that each journey will make us move almost at the speed of light, so what will take us days, will be decades for the rest of humanity. Being able to see the consequences of each of our missions in real-time every time we return to Earth.
Although it does not yet have a release date, we know that Exodus is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. That and the game will feature romance, unique loyalty missions with each of the characters, and everything we can expect from an RPG in the style of Mass Effect. Having already seen some of Exodus in the Secret Level series, we will have to stay tuned to what Wizards of the Coast is doing with their new IP.
Imagine for a moment that you are directing one of the most recognized trilogies in the history of video games. You win awards, you are considered one of the key figures in the modern history of the medium, everyone respects you… And then, a pat on the back and to the sidelines. This is what happened to Casey Hudson, director of the first three installments of Mass Effect (and others like the legendary Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), who hasn’t released anything new since 2012 and, apparently, will continue like this for a long time. Casey makes it happen In 2021, Hudson […]
Imagine for a moment that you direct one of the most recognized trilogies in video game history. You win awards, are considered one of the key pieces in the modern history of the medium, everyone respects you… And then, a pat on the back and to the sidelines. This is what happened to Casey Hudson, director of the first three installments of Mass Effect (and others like the legendary Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), who hasn’t released anything new since 2012 and, apparently, will continue like this for a long time.
In 2021, Hudson set up his own studio, Humanoid Origin, with which he was developing his new game. He didn’t even have time to finish it before closing due to a sudden lack of funding: “Today, we informed our team that Humanoid Origin will be closing. Despite efforts to shield the studio from challenges in the industry, an unexpected lack of monetary funds has prevented us from continuing operations,” they said.
“It breaks our hearts to know that we won’t be able to complete our new science-fiction universe. Our biggest concern right now, however, is our team, and we will support them in their transition to other employment.” I’m afraid we can only guess what this new game was going to be by speculating on the pieces of concept art that have been on the website for months. Certainly, this industry is terrifying, and even the most talented cannot survive.
Worlds Untold is born, a new studio led by the screenwriter of Mass Effect and that promises to create games of unprecedented depth in the medium
In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of activity in the video game industry, unfortunately, mostly for the worse. Many mass layoffs, studio closures, and acquisitions have taken place. These are detrimental and will likely have long-term consequences that are hard to fully grasp at this moment. However, occasionally, positive events emerge that are worth highlighting—such as the birth of a new studio led by a seasoned veteran with a clear vision.
NetEase’s establishment of a new studio, Worlds Untold, based in Vancouver, Canada, led by Mac Walters, the former developer at Bioware, marks a significant event.
Walters started at Bioware in 2003, contributing as a writer on the cult classic, Jade Empire. He progressed to become a senior writer in the first Mass Effect and took the helm as lead writer in the subsequent sequels. In Mass Effect 2, he shared this role with Drew Karpashyn, then assumed it independently for Mass Effect 3. Walters also served as the creative director for Mass Effect: Andromeda and the project director for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. His extensive experience makes him a dependable figure to spearhead a studio.
The ambition behind Worlds Untold is to create intellectual properties that possess “depth and possibilities that cannot be contained within a single game, or even a single medium.” This vision will manifest in their inaugural title, an action-adventure AAA game set in “an overwhelming world full of mysteries and exploration.”
Given that the studio has just been announced and the game doesn’t even have a name yet, it’s unlikely we’ll see more about it anytime soon. Nonetheless, there’s considerable anticipation for what their creative efforts will yield. However, the new Mass Effect is also eagerly anticipated, and at least, the game being developed by Worlds Untold has the man who helped shape Mass Effect at its helm.
“There’s no way he’s going to be out any time soon”
We’ve been without a new ‘Mass Effect’ title since 2017, when ‘Andromeda’ appeared, causing, at best, the deepest indifference. Six years have passed, and on November 7th, BioWare hinted that something new was about to come, raising the eyebrows (and, by the way, the hype) of the franchise’s fans. But if you were hoping to traverse space again… wait sitting down. It’s going to be a while.
Okay, yes, we have a teaser with references to Liara, ‘Andromeda,’ and more Easter eggs for the hardcore fans, but that doesn’t mean BioWare is going to release a long trailer tomorrow. Quite the opposite, as stated by Jeff Grubb, a writer and story designer at the company: “There’s no way it’s coming out anytime soon.”
Moreover, “That’s what they told me when they revealed the existence of ‘Dragon Age: Dreadwolf‘ in 2018. This is similar in terms of timing. That was announced in 2018, and we won’t have the game until, perhaps, next year. Do the math.” This leaves us with a period of six years, so, being generous, ‘Mass Effect 5’ would see its release in… 2029, a date distant enough to still seem futuristic.
Moreover, Tamoor Hussain, who shared the podcast where Grubb spoke, added, “‘Mass Effect 5′ is very far away, in another galaxy right now.” Many fans of the series thought there might be some deception in the developers’ words because the teaser smelled like an immediate announcement. But, it seems, they would do well to trust them. Basically, according to what they say, the short video was released because “they had to do something for N7 Day.”
Oh, and ‘Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’ possibly won’t be out until 2025. I hope you don’t have plans in 2030.
Mass Effect returns with a teaser that, although it does not clarify anything about where the saga will go, confirms that there will be a new installment
Some days are special for fans of certain video game franchises. These days have been established as the grand day for particular franchises, becoming official or unofficial celebrations of those video games. For Mass Effect, that day is November 7th, or N7 Day. While it’s true that in recent years there hasn’t been any news, nothing significant regarding the game, this year BioWare has decided to do something different. They have chosen to give us a glimpse into the future.
To celebrate N7 Day, BioWare has been releasing a teaser in small pieces, with messages about its “decoding” that have given hints about who the protagonist is. In this teaser, they present a signal originating from the Andromeda galaxy, which is responded to by someone from the Milky Way. Although the transmission year is listed as under embargo, all of this provides more than enough clues for us to speculate on what is happening here.
It has been three years since the announcement of a new Mass Effect game in development. Since then, we have had no information, so it is not unreasonable to assume that this is the continuation of Mass Effect: Andromeda. A game that initially received harsh criticism from both critics and the audience but has become a cult title over time.
In this regard, we have confirmation from the project’s director, Mike Gamble, stating that it is both a sequel to Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect: Andromeda, confirming that the game will feature both galaxies – both Andromeda and the Milky Way. This raises questions that the teaser itself ignites. Who is responding to the message? In what year does it take place? These are important questions for the fans and will likely keep them speculating for years. BioWare’s next project is Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, about which we also don’t know much.
There are hostile aliens behind every corner, and puzzles set to challenge your psyche in these amazing games!
The science fiction genre has been around for hundreds of years, and for good reason. Sci-fi lets us take a peek at what might be, showing us visions of hundreds of possible futures… some hopeful, and some bleak. Sci-fi lets us explore far off worlds, encounter colorful new creatures and species, and at the same time lets us take a look back at ourselves through a unique lens. Sci-fi games are no exception and have left an indelible mark on gamers everywhere. Here’s our roundup of the top 10 most definitive sci-fi video games.
10 best sci-fi games of all time
For this list, we had to draw a hard line between fantasy games and science fiction games. Although you might not consider it to be one, the Mega Man games are technically sci-fi games. Sci-games are games where the setting is only made possible by advancements in science, technology, or major social and environmental changes.
10. Portal
Image courtesy Valve
Though sci-fi is known for letting players experience unique perspectives, Portal took that rather literally. This puzzle game has players taking control of a test subject, Chell, in a mysterious scientific facility. She’s tasked with using futuristic portal-gun technology to navigate a variety of increasingly difficult testing chambers.
Portal is a totally unique puzzle game that will have players looking at the world in entirely different ways and provides some truly mind-blowing and sometimes head-scratching scenarios.
It’s also loaded with Valve game developer’s trademark dry sense of humor and more than a few colorful characters, all of which combines to make this sci-fi puzzle game truly stand out from the crowd.
To call Starcraft a worldwide phenomenon might be an understatement. It is the definitive RTS game. Since arriving on the scene several decades ago, Starcraft has endured with a loyal following of competitive and casual players across the globe.
The real-time strategy game allows players to take control of one of several factions and duke it out for battlefield supremacy. Starcraft has since become a staple of professional gaming leagues and inspires an almost disturbing level of fanaticism among fans.
Some sessions will last for hours or even days at a time, and some players have even died while playing. The game is so wildly popular that even UC Berkeley offered a class on it. It’s incredibly addictive and incredibly fun, and players that give the game a shot will soon find that out for themselves.
Prey is a spiritual successor to the iconic sci-fi classic System Shock and has been given a modern makeover. Players take control of a scientist aboard the orbiting Talos space station after things have gone out of control. Unfortunately, the space station has suffered an alien invasion. A sinister alien species has slaughtered most of the station’s inhabitants, and it’s up to the player to stop the threat.
Like its cousin, Bioshock, Prey sports a stunning retro-futuristic aesthetic, and players will use a combination of both conventional weapons and supernatural powers to combat the alien threat. You can call it a sci-fi game or you can call it a horror game. We call it “fun.”
In the future, corporations hold almost unchecked power, and humans are able to be augmented to near godlike status with various cybernetic components. Of course, this makes for some ridiculously fun and creative combat scenarios, but the RPG elements are what sets Deus Ex apart from the pack. The player will have to make some choices that have serious repercussions. Throw in tense, twisting plots worthy of any best-selling thriller novel, and it soon becomes apparent why Deus Ex has endured for more than 20 years.
Another entry from Valve, Half-Life became an instant classic almost immediately upon release. Playing as scientist Gordon Freeman, players take on a hostile alien threat at a secret government research facility.
The second game, however, is where the series really shines. Freeman is transported into the future, where an alien government known as the Combine has taken over Earth. The Earth is barren and looks like the end result of a nuclear war.
Freeman is forced to fight through a variety of dystopian settings to liberate humanity. Half-Life effortlessly blends solid combat with platforming and puzzle-solving to create an endlessly replayable experience. Though fans are still waiting (perhaps forever) for the much-anticipated conclusion to the series, the other entries are still well worth playing.
EVE Online is perhaps the best definition of the term “massive multiplayer online game.” EVE is a world in and of itself, with a living, breathing in-depth economy and player base. The game regularly breaks records and makes headlines.
For example, “The Bloodbath of B-R5RB” lasted for almost 21 hours and involved tens of thousands of players. It was also one of the most expensive battles in gaming history, measured in the real-world dollars that were lost in the battle. In fact, EVE is so significant that it’s been featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Though there are microtransactions (and plenty of them) players can still enter this vast world of political espionage, massive battles, and hypercapitalism for free.
Some argue that Knights of the Old Republic is the definitive Star Wars game, and it’s easy to see why. The game acts as a prequel to the movies, letting players explore the galaxy as it was when the Jedi and Sith were at the height of their powers.
It’s an incredibly in-depth RPG, allowing players to follow their character from young Padawan all the way to a full-fledged Jedi Knight. The world and characters are utterly immersive, and the game also features a stellar soundtrack by Jeremy Soule, who some gamers may know as the musician behind the sounds of Skyrim. KOTOR isn’t just a great sci-fi game or a great Star Wars game, it’s perhaps one of the best games of all time.
When the term “survival horror” is uttered, the Dead Space franchise is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
Though many look to the stars and see possibilities for hope and exploration, others look at that vast expanse and wonder what horrors might lurk in the inky blackness. The Dead Space series answers that question.
As engineer Isaac Clarke, players are tasked with investigating a distress call from the USG Ishimura, a massive planetary mining vessel. What follows is a living nightmare, as twisted alien creatures known as Necromorphs have turned the ship into a vision of true horror.
As Isaac, players will use a variety of engineering and maintenance tools as weapons to try to stay alive. Though the combat and scares are both top-tier, the game’s setting can be easy to overlook. In-game technology is sleek and creative, from the actual in-game holographic pause menus to the interfaces on doors to the health bar on Isaac’s armor. The rich lore that lurks in the background only serves to heighten the terror.
Halo is the definitive sci-fi first-person shooter. Players take on the role of super-soldier Master Chief as he fends off an invasion at the hands of hostile aliens. It may sound like a derivative plot, but it’s done to perfection, and it’s hard not to get wrapped up in Master Chief’s story.
The gameplay is a gold standard for the genre, blending staple weapons like pistols and rifles with more… creative weapons such as the Needler and iconic Energy Sword.
Single-player aside, the multiplayer is a recipe for endless hours of fun, whether experienced online or on the couch with friends. Players can even look outside the games for even more content, such as popular Halo machinimas like Rooster Teeth’s classic web series Red vs. Blue.
There are role-playing games, and then there’s Mass Effect. Rather than merely taking on a role, you will take on an entire universe of possibilities.
Another Bioware classic, the Mass Effect trilogy is the quintessential gaming experience for any sci-fi fan. Hundreds of years in the future, humanity has used mysterious Mass Relay technology to join a host of other alien species in the universe at large.
As humanity struggles to find its place in an already close-knit galactic community, another threat appears in the form of the mysterious and powerful Reapers, bent on wiping out all life in the galaxy. That’s where Commander Shepard comes in. Players will control almost every aspect of Shepard’s journey, from combat style, to appearance, to personality.
Even the smallest choices might have repercussions that shape the fate of the galaxy. It’s a long and emotional journey and one that players will want to take over and over again. Mass Effect is everything good about science fiction and role-playing done to absolute perfection.
Were there any titles that we may have overlooked? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back with Softonic for more lists and other gaming-related news, guides, and updates.
