NDP leader Avi Lewis has called for the federal government to support the BioWare developers in buying and running the studio, following the closure of the beloved Edmonton-based developer by EA. Lewis argues that the developers at BioWare know how to run the studio and make the games we all love. He suggests that the federal government should provide support for the developers to buy and run the studio themselves. This call for support comes as EA cut 400 jobs and shut down BioWare following a deal to go private that was backed by Saudi Arabia and U.S. firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter of which is owned by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Lewis points out the pattern of private equity buying up businesses and tearing them apart for short-term profit, which is not uncommon in the gaming industry and beyond. He has previously called for nationalization of a Canadian company impacted by foreign interests. The issue of the Canadian government not paying attention to the gaming industry, which contributed over $5 billion to the country's GDP in 2024, remains a concern. While Lewis doesn't have much power to make this happen, his call for support highlights the importance of supporting Canadian game studios and the need for government intervention to ensure the sustainability of the industry.
