Canadian political party leader blames BioWare’s closure on private equity, says government should help former employees buy it back
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Canadian New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis condemned the recent shutdown of BioWare, attributing it to the destructive practices of private‑equity owners. In a Bluesky post, Lewis described how the studio, recently acquired in a leveraged buyout by Saudi‑backed Savvy Games Group and Jared Kushner’s firm, was “run into the ground” for short‑term profit, resulting in the loss of 400 jobs across EA’s portfolio, including BioWare. He called for federal assistance to enable former BioWare staff to purchase and operate the studio themselves, arguing that the developers are best positioned to preserve its legacy. Lewis’s remarks join a growing chorus of politicians and industry figures worldwide who are publicly scrutinizing private‑equity influence in video‑game development.
💡 Why It Matters
- · It spotlights a rare political push for direct government involvement in rescuing a creative‑focused tech asset, challenging the prevailing model of private‑equity‑driven studio acquisitions.
