Two weeks after the studio’s closure, the rise and fall of one of Canada’s most influential video game studios will get the documentary treatment next year.
Massive Effect: The BioWare Story will explore the legacy of Edmonton-based BioWare, from its 1995 founding to its closure by Electronic Arts in October 2026. According to Deadline, Canada’s Super Channel commissioned the documentary, and Akash Sherman is writing and directing it.
Production began two years before EA announced BioWare’s closure on October 21, allowing filmmakers to capture the studio’s final chapter as it unfolded. Of course, it was purely coincidental that filming took place as EA announced its decision to cut 400 total jobs, including about 50 at BioWare.
This ultimately led to the studio’s closure. Its shutdown came months after a Saudi-led investment group completed its $55 billion USD (around $77 billion CAD) acquisition of EA. According to Bloomberg, EA decided to shut down BioWare after an opportunity to develop a third Star Wars Battlefront title with Disney and Lucasfilm presented itself. Executives decided to invest in Star Wars Battlefront III rather than the new Mass Effect title, which was first revealed in 2020.
BioWare was founded by medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip. Over the decades, BioWare became synonymous with story-driven western RPGs, producing franchises including Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the early Baldur’s Gate titles. The studio reportedly sold more than 100 million copies of its games before closing. Its final release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, earned multiple nominations at the 2025 Canadian Game Awards.
The documentary features interviews with BioWare’s founders alongside several prominent industry figures, including former EA CEO John Riccitiello, Mass Effect director Casey Hudson, The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley and voice actor Jennifer Hale.
Longtime developers Mark Darrah, David Gaider, Drew Karpyshyn and Mac Walters are also participating. “BioWare was never just about the logo or the building,” Muzyka and Zeschuk said in a joint statement. Fennessey Films and Score G Productions are co-producing the project, with support from the Canada Media Fund.
Massive Effect: The BioWare Story is targeting a 2027 world premiere and film festival run, although a specific release date has not been announced.
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