BioWare Lays Off Dragon Age Developers

Key Dragon Age developers have announced their departure from BioWare following a studio restructuring to prioritize the development of the next Mass Effect game. On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects, focusing its resources entirely on Mass Effect 5. General manager Gary McKay explained that this realignment, occurring between major development cycles, allows BioWare to "reimagine how we work." He stated that the full studio's support wasn't needed at this stage of Mass Effect 5's development and that many employees were successfully placed within other suitable roles at EA.

While an unspecified number of BioWare developers transitioned to equivalent roles within EA, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for other internal positions. Several BioWare developers subsequently announced their departure on social media, 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. These departures follow 2023 layoffs and the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.

EA's response to inquiries regarding the number of affected employees remained vague, stating only that the studio is appropriately staffed for the current phase of Mass Effect development. BioWare's work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard concluded last week with what appeared to be its final major update. The game, the first new entry in the fantasy RPG series in a decade, underperformed significantly, failing to meet sales expectations by 50%, achieving only 1.5 million players instead of the projected three million. BioWare confirmed that no post-launch DLC was planned for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, surprising fans. The game's development had already been marked by challenges, including layoffs and the departure of several key personnel.

EA confirmed that a core team at BioWare, led by veterans of the original Mass Effect trilogy including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is now fully focused on the next Mass Effect game.