Several key developers from the Dragon Age series have announced their departure from BioWare following the studio's recent restructuring efforts to concentrate on the development of the next Mass Effect game. On January 29, IGN reported that BioWare had shifted a significant number of its developers to other projects within EA, aiming to streamline its focus on Mass Effect 5.
BioWare's general manager, Gary McKay, stated that the studio is using the time between full development cycles to "reimagine how we work." He emphasized that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support isn't required for Mass Effect 5. McKay noted that the studio has diligently worked to place many of its colleagues into other suitable roles within EA over the past few months.
While EA has successfully reassigned an undisclosed number of BioWare developers to equivalent roles within the company, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination. These individuals are being offered the opportunity to apply for other positions within EA.
In the wake of this announcement, several BioWare developers took to social media to confirm their departures. Notable exits include 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, all of whom are now seeking new employment opportunities.
This recent development follows a round of layoffs at BioWare in 2023, and the departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche last week. When asked about the specifics of the impact on BioWare's workforce, EA provided a vague response, stating that the studio's priority had been Dragon Age, but now the full focus is on Mass Effect. EA declined to share exact numbers but assured that the studio has the right team in place for the current stage of Mass Effect's development.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard marked the first new game in the fantasy RPG series in a decade, but its release was underwhelming. BioWare confirmed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard would not receive any post-launch DLC, disappointing fans accustomed to expansions in previous Dragon Age titles. Moreover, EA revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of sales expectations by 50%, achieving only 1.5 million players against an anticipated three million. The game's development was fraught with challenges, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads at various points.
Looking ahead, EA announced that 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 installment in the Mass Effect series.
