Avi Lewis, leader of the Canadian NDP, publicly floated the idea that the federal government should help BioWare buy its way to independence. However, his party only holds 5 seats in the parliament.
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, leaving EA saddled with $18 billion in debt.
Lewis floated the possibility of getting the government to support the studio going independent in order to save it:
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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. The developers at BioWare know how to run the studio. They know how to make the games we all love. They should be given the first opportunity - and the federal support - to buy it and run it themselves. And if we want to avoid the Mass Effect effect in Canada, we should be keeping private equity out, not welcoming it in.
Needless to say, the mere idea had fans of the once-beloved studio dreaming about it. At the same time, its feasibility is doubtful: Lewis's ability to turn that proposal into an actual rescue package is fairly limited. The NDP currently holds just five seats in Canada's House of Commons, well below the 12 required for recognized party status. Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals, meanwhile, hold 173 seats against 164 occupied opposition seats, meaning they do not need NDP support to maintain their parliamentary majority. His personal position adds another limitation, as Lewis does not hold a parliamentary seat. Of course, his MPs can raise the issue in Parliament, but Lewis himself cannot directly question ministers or vote on legislation.
Still, his statement could draw attention to the developers' situation, encourage other parties to support a worker-led acquisition, and put political pressure on the government to explore assistance. But there is a significant difference between persuading ministers to act and possessing the votes to compel a concession.
There is also a substantial commercial obstacle that federal support alone would not resolve: saving BioWare as an independent developer and saving its canceled Mass Effect project are two quite different propositions. The latter would require an agreement with EA covering the IP and development assets, while either approach would need a credible financing and operating plan. In short, for this to happen there would have to be a concrete proposal from a substantial group of the former developers, EA's willingness to negotiate, and backing from the Liberal government.
It's a long shot, to say the least. Even so, news of the shutdown has triggered an outpouring of support from fellow developers and fans alike, and the leaked Mass Effect trailer has been well received. Between that and the upcoming Amazon Prime Video TV series still in development, there should be plenty of evidence that this IP does not deserve to die and has untapped potential.About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
Just to remind you, gamers, some BioWare titles.
🌌 The Mass Effect Series
A sweeping sci-fi space opera tracking humanity's fight for survival against an ancient synthetic threat.
• Mass Effect (2007)
• Mass Effect 2 (2010)
• Mass Effect 3 (2012)
• Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017)
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (2021) – The fully remastered original trilogy.
🐉 The Dragon Age Series
A dark fantasy epic set in the volatile continent of Thedas, moving from tactical dark fantasy to high-stakes action.
• Dragon Age: Origins (2009)
• Dragon Age II (2011)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024)
⚔️ Classic & Licensed RPGs
Before crafting their own universes, BioWare built their reputation on landmark Dungeons & Dragons adaptations and a trip to a galaxy far, far away.
• Baldur's Gate (1998) & Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
• Neverwinter Nights (2002)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) – Widely considered one of the greatest Star Wars stories ever told.
• Jade Empire (2005) – A martial arts action-RPG rooted in Chinese mythology.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011) – A massive multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) that continues to receive story expansions.
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