Key developers behind the Dragon Age series have announced their departure from BioWare following a restructuring that shifts the studio's focus to the next installment of Mass Effect. On January 29, IGN reported that BioWare had reassigned several of its developers to other projects within EA as part of this transition.
BioWare's general manager, Gary McKay, explained that the studio is taking this time between major projects to "reimagine how we work." He noted that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support isn't necessary for the upcoming Mass Effect game. McKay emphasized that BioWare has worked hard over recent months to place many of its staff in suitable roles across other EA teams.
While EA has successfully transitioned an undisclosed number of BioWare developers to equivalent roles within the company, some members of the Dragon Age team are facing layoffs. These individuals are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within EA.
In response to this restructuring, several BioWare developers, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm, have announced their departure from the studio via social media. This follows BioWare's layoffs in 2023 and the recent exit of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.
When asked by IGN about the specifics of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and potential layoffs, EA provided a vague response. The company confirmed that while the studio's priority had been Dragon Age, it now fully focuses on Mass Effect. EA did not disclose numbers but assured that BioWare has the appropriate team size and composition for the current stage of Mass Effect's development.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new game in the fantasy RPG series in a decade, concluded its development last week with its final major update. Despite high hopes, the game's launch was underwhelming, with BioWare announcing no post-launch DLC would be available. EA later revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of sales expectations by 50%, achieving only 1.5 million players against a target of three million.
The development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard was fraught with challenges, including previous layoffs and the departure of several project leads. Meanwhile, a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is now working on the next Mass Effect game.
