Key facts
- CD Projekt RED co-CEO Michał Nowakowski paid tribute to BioWare after the studio's closure and described it as a significant part of CD Projekt Red's history.
- The Aurora Engine, first built for Neverwinter Nights, was licensed by BioWare to CD Projekt RED for work on the original The Witcher, which launched in 2007.
- CD Projekt's ties to BioWare started with localizing and distributing Baldur's Gate games in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
- Electronic Arts announced BioWare's closure under a wider restructuring, which would stop work on the next Mass Effect game.
Michał Nowakowski, co-CEO of CD Projekt RED, paid tribute to BioWare on Oct. 21, 2026. He described the studio as significant in CD Projekt RED’s history after it closed.
Electronic Arts said it would close BioWare as part of a wider restructuring on Oct. 21, 2026. Development of the next Mass Effect game would stop under the restructuring. The announcement linked Nowakowski’s tribute to BioWare’s shutdown and the cancellation of the upcoming Mass Effect title.
BioWare said it was shutting down in a farewell message. The statement thanked staff and fans. The thanks covered over thirty years of backing.
Nowakowski offered sympathy for workers affected by the shutdown. He said the studio’s loss was hard for the games business. He also expressed sorrow for the affected employees. Nowakowski regretted the loss of what he called a legendary brand.
The studio’s legacy continues in Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and The Witcher.
BioWare and CD Projekt first connected through Baldur’s Gate games that CD Projekt localized and distributed in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. CD Projekt reached out to BioWare and Interplay to handle the Polish localization before moving into broader distribution across related markets.
Interplay’s situation caused a proposed Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance localization deal to fall through. The relationship survived the failed Dark Alliance partnership. It continued into The Witcher’s development.
Nowakowski said he went to BioWare’s office in Edmonton. He welcomed BioWare staff to CD Projekt’s headquarters in Warsaw. The visits showed personal ties behind the professional collaboration between the two studios.
BioWare allowed CD Projekt RED to use the Aurora Engine on the original The Witcher. The Witcher launched in 2007. The Aurora Engine, a game engine used to build and run a video game, was first built for Neverwinter Nights. The engine mattered while CD Projekt RED remained a small Polish studio working on its first RPG.
BioWare shared development experience with CD Projekt RED. BioWare also provided booth space at E3 for The Witcher. The booth showcased The Witcher during early development. The help let the small Polish studio show its first RPG to industry audiences before release.
Ryszard Chojnowski, a translator, took photographs of CD Projekt RED showing The Witcher on the Aurora Engine at BioWare’s E3 booth in 2004. Michał Nowakowski said, “BioWare has been a massive part of CDPR history.”
- Oct. 2026: Electronic Arts said it would close BioWare as part of a wider restructuring.
- Oct. 2026: Michał Nowakowski paid tribute to BioWare, describing it as significant in CD Projekt Red's history.
- Oct. 2026: Nowakowski offered sympathy for workers affected by the shutdown.
- 2007: The Witcher launched after BioWare allowed CD Projekt RED to use the Aurora Engine.
- 2004: Ryszard Chojnowski photographed CD Projekt Red showing The Witcher on the Aurora Engine at BioWare's E3 booth.
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