Dragon Age Devs Laid Off as BioWare Shifts Focus to Mass Effect

Key Dragon Age Developers Depart BioWare Amid Studio Restructuring

In a significant shift at BioWare, several key developers from the Dragon Age team have announced their departure from the studio. This follows BioWare's recent restructuring to focus exclusively on the development of the next Mass Effect game, as reported by IGN on January 29.

BioWare's general manager, Gary McKay, stated that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work." He noted that at the current stage of Mass Effect 5's development, the full studio's support is not required. As a result, many BioWare developers have been reassigned to other projects within EA, with McKay emphasizing that the studio worked to match colleagues with suitable roles across EA.

Despite efforts to reassign staff, some Dragon Age team members are facing termination and have been given the opportunity to apply for other positions within EA. In the wake of this announcement, several 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 confirmed their departure from BioWare via social media, indicating they are now seeking new employment opportunities.

This restructuring comes on the heels of layoffs at BioWare in 2023 and the recent exit of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche. When questioned by IGN 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 and that it now has the "right number of people in the right roles" to focus on Mass Effect.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest installment in the fantasy RPG series and the first new game in a decade, concluded its development last week. However, the game's launch was underwhelming, with BioWare confirming that no post-launch DLC would be produced, a decision that shocked fans accustomed to expansions in previous Dragon Age titles. EA also 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.

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 focused on developing the next Mass Effect game.