PixlBit

The video game industry's doctors are moving on.

Hot on the heels of the huge announcement for Dragon Age 3: Inquisition came some sobering news that nearly eclipsed that previous story: the founders of Bioware, Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Musyka confirmed that they are leaving the company. This isn’t simply a matter of the doctors making a smooth exit from EA to form a new independent video game label—they are leaving the industry entirely and moving on to new ventures.

The BioWare founders each wrote a farewell letter to the community on Tuesday. Though they had different things to say a few things were emphasized in each letter. Both doctors were very humble and thankful to the teams at BioWare, the heads of EA, and the fans. They urged the staff of BioWare to hold true to the “Core Values” that were a part of the foundation of the company, and they stressed that great things are coming from BioWare in the future.

Dr. Musyka went into greater detail on his future endeavors, stating that he is passionate about both entrepreneurship and social liberty. To that end, he plans on investing in and mentoring new entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on social and impact investing. “For me, getting involved in social impact investment stems from the simple hope of helping the world to be a better place,” says Muzyka in his letter. “To that end, I’ll also be spending time getting involved with more charities in education, health care, and animal rights, areas where my wife and I’ve typically focused our charitable donations in the past.”

Dr. Zeschuk was less definite in his farewell letter, only saying that he would be leaving the video games industry for some time, and very likely would not be returning. He plans on spending “significant time with family and friends”, as well as engaging his hobby of craft beer. The first project in relation to his love of home-brewed beer is a web-based interview show titled The Beer Diaries. Zeschuk admitted that he found himself without the passion for video games or the industry that he once did, but remains firm in his passion for the creative minds at BioWare. Recently, Dr. Zeschuk had been living in Austin, TX on his own to help the completion and post-launch work of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

BioWare was formed in 1995, and went on to create some of the most critically and commercially successful RPGs in video game history, including Baldur’s Gate I and II, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. Aaryn Flynn, GM of BioWare Edmonton and Montreal, made his own public letter on the same day as the founder’s departure, giving people a glimpse at what the company has in the works. New multiplayer content is on the way for Mass Effect 3, as well as new story-based DLC, with Omega being the focus of the next chapter. The company is also working on a new game in the series, with executive producer Casey Hudson overseeing the project. Hudson is also working on a new game set in a fictional universe, built with “all new gaming technology”.

PixlBit wishes the best for Dr. Muzyka and Dr. Zeschuk. As always, we’ll have more news on what’s coming next from BioWare as we get it.