Star Trek Online Exec: Closing Studios Like BioWare Is 'Setting Fire to Millions'

Thomas Marrone, executive producer of Star Trek Online, has sharply criticized the games industry's habit of shuttering established studios like BioWare in favor of unproven startups and trendy tech. His remarks came after EA closed BioWare, but he aimed at a broader pattern of layoffs and closures that he believes squander valuable creative talent.

Team Chemistry Takes Years to Build

Marrone compared game development to forming a band. You can't simply hire four random musicians and expect them to become the Beatles overnight, he said. True collaboration requires years of shared wins and losses to reach a stage where teams become highly effective. He noted that most studios that produce an overnight hit are actually on their third or fourth title, having learned from past mistakes.

He pointed to Larian, Arrowhead, and Blizzard as examples—studios that spent years grinding experience before delivering blockbusters. "What if Larian had shut down after Divine Divinity?" he asked. Continuity and culture, he argued, are what ultimately drive major successes.

Shareholders Should Be 'Livid'

Marrone didn't hold back on the financial absurdity of the trend. He described disbanding experienced teams as "literally setting fire to millions of dollars of property and equipment" and called it wildly irresponsible. If publishers only care about short-term profits, he suggested they liquidate their assets and invest in mutual funds instead of pretending to make games.

He also took aim at the pursuit of AI and other "magic beans" as quick fixes, stressing that there is no trick—just the hard work of nurturing and empowering a team over time.

Why It Matters for Players

For gamers, this mindset threatens the future of beloved franchises. When studios like BioWare are dismantled, the institutional knowledge and creative chemistry behind series like Mass Effect and Dragon Age are lost. The recent wave of "AAA veteran" startups that quickly folded shows that money alone can't replicate a cohesive team.

What do you think—should publishers be forced to preserve established teams, or is constant restructuring just part of the business? Share your thoughts in the comments.