A Halloween display outside Electronic Arts’ offices in Vancouver has drawn attention for its gravestones commemorating BioWare and other studios linked to the publisher. The installation was created by a player as a pointed response to BioWare’s closure and the reported cancellation of the new Mass Effect project.
The display includes the names of BioWare, Bullfrog, Pandemic, Origin, Visceral, Westwood and Maxis. Although Maxis has not technically closed, the creator marked its end as 2014, the year associated with the release of The Sims 4.
The creator explained on Reddit that BioWare’s closure had affected him personally. After deciding to make something for Halloween, he said he spent time cutting, painting, printing and assembling the installation in front of EA’s offices.
The display reflects criticism surrounding Electronic Arts’ history of closing studios, particularly those associated with the PC market. According to the information cited, the decision to close BioWare was linked not only to the studio’s lack of major successes over the previous decade, but also to the publisher’s preference for Battlefront 3, considered a less risky project than a new Mass Effect.
The original report also describes Mass Effect 5 as an action role-playing game planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC. The project was presented as a new entry intended to move beyond the reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda, with members of the original trilogy’s development team involved.
Sources: Vandal.