The call of life is seldom easy to ignore. In the midst of providing for ourselves or our families, many people must make choices that often take us down a different road. Perhaps we did not expect to become teachers, lawyers or musicians, but wanted careers as an engineer, a writer or an architect. Success (and failure) may not always dictate how our lives or professional careers end up, but each one carries with it a lesson that can be applied toward the future. For Bioware founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, those lessons will be aimed toward a better world for their families, for society, and for craft beer.
In blog posts on Bioware’s website on Tuesday, Zeschuk and Muzyka both announced that they will be retiring from Bioware and from the video game industry. After almost two decades, both members emphasized the decision to leave was made with “significant pain and regret.” While Muzyka cited an interest in pursuing entrepeneurial and social impact endeavors, Zeschuk’s motivations were for his family and a lack of passion.
“I’ve reaches an unexpected point in my life where I no longer have the passion that I once did for the company, for the games, and for the challenge of creation” Zeschuk wrote in his post. Although they will not be associated with the video game industry, they both remain avid fans of the medium and look forward to playing video games purely for entertainment. Writes Muzyka, “Frankly, I’m quite excited by the thought of being able to play the next generation of Bioware games as a fan!”
But as one chapter ends, Muzyka writes, another one begins, as both will be starting new adventures in other fields of interest, “for me, getting involved in social impact investing stems from the simple hope of helping the world to be a better place.”
Zeschuk says he will be pursuing passion projects related to craft beer. “The main project I will be working on is a web-based interview show called the Beer Diaries where I interview notable brewers and showcase their beers.”
Both Zeschuk and Muzyka stress, however, that their absence will have no impact on Bioware or the quality of their games. “One thing I’m confident of is that we’ve built a great team that will continue to succeed long after I’m gone,” Zeschuk said, “I have full confidence in the current leadership team guiding Bioware to continued future success.”
A Sword, A Shield and a Story 