Canadian MP Petitions Government to Fund BioWare Employee Buyout From EA

Canadian MP Don Davies has sponsored an official government petition calling for federal funding to help BioWare employees buy back the studio from Electronic Arts following its recent closure. The petition, designated e-7898, was initiated by Burnaby resident Brendan Routh and has already gathered 2,861 signatures at the time of writing. For players who have followed the Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate franchises for decades, this represents a notable political intervention in the fate of a beloved developer.

About BioWare

BioWare is a Canadian video game developer renowned for franchises including Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate. Electronic Arts purchased the studio in 2007 as part of a larger acquisition. EA shut down BioWare recently, within the past couple of weeks. The closure has sparked significant backlash from fans and now political figures who argue the studio was mismanaged.

The Petition's Core Demands

The official petition e-7898 makes three primary requests of the federal government.

• Capital to help BioWare employees buy back the studio and secure ownership of its intellectual property
• Protection of Canadian businesses from being dictated by American and foreign corporate interests
• Championing Canadian values of inclusivity, tolerance, democracy, justice, and civil rights by preserving BioWare's contribution to the global entertainment industry

According to the petition text, the goal is to demonstrate how many Canadians believe this represents a worthwhile investment in the country's entertainment industry. The petition argues that BioWare developers know how to run their studio and make the games fans love, and should be given the first opportunity to buy it back with federal support. This employee-ownership model would represent a significant departure from the typical publisher-developer relationship that has defined the industry for decades.

Don Davies' Argument Against EA's Management

MP Don Davies has been vocal about his criticism of Electronic Arts' stewardship of BioWare. In a statement provided to the press, Davies said:

"BioWare has cultivated an international following from their renowned video game franchises like Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate, and Dragon Age. Canada's video game industry creates some of our most important cultural exports, and BioWare was among our biggest success stories."

Don Davies, MP

Davies went further in his critique of EA's acquisition strategy:

"Electronic Arts, their American parent company, was never invested in the success of BioWare since they purchased the studio as part of a larger acquisition in 2007. This is a pattern with video game publishers like EA. They buy smaller developers, set unrealistic timelines, overwork their employees, and meddle in the development process, resulting in poorer quality games. Then, when sales fail to meet expectations, they blame the developers, lay off workers, and eventually shut down the studio for short-term profit."

Don Davies, MP

"New Democrats want BioWare to stay in business, preferably under Canadian control. We believe that the employees at BioWare ought to have the first opportunity to buy back their studio and continue making the games that fans love. The petition primarily asks the federal government to provide the required capital. This is absolutely possible. Our goal with the petition is to demonstrate just how many Canadians believe this is a worthwhile investment in our entertainment industry."

On Bluesky, Davies reinforced his position with additional posts. He wrote:

"BioWare's US parent company, EA, has decided to close the studio. These publishers buy developers, run them into the ground, and rip them apart for profit. There's a pattern of US companies buying Canadian businesses and shutting them down, costing Canadians their jobs."

Don Davies, MP

In a follow-up post, he added:

"The developers at BioWare know how to run their studio. They know how to make the games that fans love. They should be given the first opportunity – and the federal support – to buy it and run it themselves."

Don Davies, MP

These statements frame the issue as part of a broader pattern of foreign corporate acquisition and asset stripping.

Political Context and Precedent

This petition follows recent comments from another Canadian politician, Avi Lewis, who spoke out about the BioWare closure over a week ago and floated the idea of government assistance for the studio's independence. The New Democratic Party's involvement signals this is being treated as a labour and cultural policy issue rather than purely a business matter. The petition's crossing of the 500-signature threshold means the House of Commons will formally discuss it, though no timeline for that discussion has been announced.

The employee buyout model proposed here has limited precedent in the video game industry at this scale. While worker cooperatives exist in other sectors, a studio of BioWare's size and IP portfolio transitioning to employee ownership with government backing would be unprecedented. The petition argues this is "absolutely possible" but does not specify the capital required or the mechanism for federal funding. For the hundreds of developers affected by the closure, the petition represents a potential lifeline — though the path from parliamentary discussion to actual funding remains long and uncertain.

What happens next depends on whether the federal government treats this as a serious industrial policy proposal or a symbolic gesture. The House of Commons discussion will be the first real test of political will. For now, BioWare's former employees and their supporters have achieved something rare: they've forced a national legislature to debate the fate of a video game studio. Whether that debate produces capital or merely conversation remains to be seen.