'They Should Be Given Federal Support' — Canadian Politician Wants the Government to Bail Out Mass Effect Developer BioWare
Lewis says federal backing could let BioWare staff buy the studio and keep the Edmonton game maker operating after its closure.
- On Wednesday, October 21, publisher EA announced the closure of Edmonton-based BioWare, a staple of Canadian game development for 30 years, eliminating 400 jobs.
- New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis linked the closure to EA's $55 billion acquisition in December 2025 by Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
- Lewis argued Canada should provide federal support for an employee buyout, writing, "This is private equity, this is what it does. Buy up businesses, run them into the ground, and rip them apart for short-term profit."
- EA has shifted strategy to focus on Battlefield and sports titles, leading to cancellation of 50 roles dedicated to the next Mass Effect project.
- Political analysts note Lewis lacks institutional power to force the buyout, though his public support serves as an easy way to earn goodwill amid private equity opposition.
12 Articles
12 Articles
NDP leader Avi Lewis wants BioWare devs to run their own studio
The leader of Canada’s federal NDP party, Avi Lewis, wants BioWare developers to run the studio with backing from the federal government after EA shuttered the studio. In a series of posts on Bluesky, Lewis blamed the private equity pattern of buying up businesses and tearing them apart for “short-term profit” for what happened to […]
The closure of BioWare, announced this week by EA, has already reached Canadian politics. The studio, based in Edmonton, was several times elected one of the best places to work in Canada, even after being bought by EA.Avi Lewis, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), one of the main opposition parties in Canada, criticized the decision on social networks. This is risk capital (private equity), it's what it does: buy business, take them to ru…
BioWare’s Developers Should Get Federal Help to Buy the Studio, Says NDP Leader, but His Party Holds Just 5 Seats
Avram 'Avi' Lewis, the Canadian politician who became the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in March 2026, publicly addressed the closure of BioWare, the historic RPG developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. Lewis, a self-professed socialist, attacked the private equity buyers of Electronic Arts, which has owned BioWare since 2007. A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's PIF recently completed a $55 billion leveraged buyout of the game publisher,…
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