BioWare's founding doctors leave video games behind

The departure of BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk in 2012 marked the end of an important era for Edmonton game development. The two University of Alberta medical graduates, together with Augustine Yip, founded BioWare in 1995 with $100,000 and grew it from an Edmonton startup into one of the world’s most influential role-playing game developers. During their tenure, BioWare produced franchises and games including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The company’s growth eventually led to its acquisition by Electronic Arts in 2007 and the expansion of the BioWare brand to six studios. Muzyka and Zeschuk’s departures therefore represented more than a leadership change: two of the people most responsible for establishing Edmonton as an internationally recognized centre for narrative-driven game development were leaving the industry after nearly two decades.