{
  "id": 15959625,
  "title": "Former BioWare Executive Producer Mark Darrah Says EA Might Be 'More Likely' to Sell IPs Like Mass Effect and Dragon Age After Studio’s Closure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/former-bioware-executive-producer-mark-darrah-says-ea-might-be-more",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-21T21:40:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/former-bioware-executive-producer-mark-darrah-says-ea-might-be-more-likely-to-sell-ips-like-mass-effect-and-dragon-age-after-studios-closure"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mark Darrah, a former Executive Producer at BioWare from 1997-2021, recently commented on the studio's closure by EA following a major restructuring disclosed on October 21. EA informed the public that the studio, renowned for titles such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age, would be shut down. In a statement, EA expressed that they had halted early-development work on Mass Effect, leading to the decision to close the studio and its Edmonton workspace. Although the news deeply affected the gaming community, one key question overshadowed the sadness: What might happen to BioWare's IPs in the future?\n\nSome fans have urged EA to sell the IPs to other companies, with CD Projekt Red being a popular choice. However, Darrah provided some insight, stating that BioWare remains fully owned by EA. He clarified that EA owns all the key IPs, including Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Despite the studio no longer being active within EA, there is uncertainty about whether the company might sell off these dormant IPs or simply abandon them.\n\nIt's worth noting that EA recently underwent a significant acquisition by a consortium of private investors in an impressive $55 billion deal. This acquisition was partially motivated by the company's focus on artificial intelligence to cut costs and manage its debt. As EA currently appears to be in a cost-control mode, Darrah believes that the company might only consider selling the IPs if it shifts towards a revenue-generation mode. Until then, the future of BioWare's iconic IPs remains uncertain, leaving fans and developers alike in a state of anticipation.",
  "summary": "Mark Darrah, who worked as an executive producer at BioWare from 1997 - 2021, shared his thoughts on the studio’s recent closure by EA and what he thinks might happen to its iconic IPs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNET",
        "title": "EA Shutters BioWare, Creator of Mass Effect, Dragon Age, KOTOR and More",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/ea-shutters-bioware-creator-of-mass-effect-dragon-age-kotor-and-more",
        "published": "2026-10-22T01:24:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}