"Mass Effect 5: BioWare Continues Development, EA Shifts Some Staff"

EA has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. The company is shifting its focus entirely to the upcoming Mass Effect game, moving several developers to other projects within EA. In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare." He noted that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required for the Mass Effect project.

As part of this restructuring, EA has already reassigned an unspecified number of BioWare developers to equivalent roles within the company. Additionally, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination, though they are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within EA.

BioWare has undergone multiple structural changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Notably, director Corinne Busche announced her departure from the studio just last week. The current number of employees at BioWare remains unclear. When asked for specifics on the impact of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and potential layoffs, EA did not provide detailed figures. However, a spokesperson stated, "The studio's priority was Dragon Age. During this time there were people continuing to build the vision for the next Mass Effect. Now that The Veilguard has shipped, the studio's full focus is Mass Effect. While we're not sharing numbers, the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development."

The new Mass Effect game, announced four years ago, is still in its early development phase. BioWare's strategy now is to concentrate on one game at a time. Some developers who had been working on Mass Effect were temporarily moved to Dragon Age to help complete that project and are now returning to Mass Effect. The development of the new Mass Effect is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.

This restructuring follows EA's recent announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%, prompting EA to adjust its fiscal year guidance. This adjustment was also influenced by weaker-than-expected results from EA Sports FC 25. EA is scheduled to discuss its Q3 earnings in a conference call on February 4.