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BioWare’s Saudi owners reportedly ordered a flag to be removed from Mass Effect 5 because it was ‘too similar to the LGBTQIA+ one’
Yahoo • • technology
Key Points:
- BioWare's development of Mass Effect 5 faced internal challenges under EA's new Saudi-backed management, with pitch videos reportedly rejected due to concerns over the studio's focus on inclusive storytelling.
- The Saudi owners allegedly instructed BioWare to remove a flag from a pitch video that resembled an LGBTQIA+ symbol, aiming to avoid offending conservative sensibilities.
- Despite the removal of such symbols from presentations, same-sex romances reportedly remained in the game itself, as confirmed by former BioWare developers.
- BioWare, a studio known for influential RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age, has been shut down after three decades, marking the end of an era in game development.
- With Saudi investors now controlling EA, the company operates as a private entity guided by the cultural norms of its owners, limiting dissenting opinions and raising concerns about the future direction of its studios.
