BioWare, the renowned game development studio, has seen its workforce shrink dramatically to fewer than 100 employees following recent layoffs and staff departures. This downsizing comes in the wake of the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a strategic shift to concentrate solely on the next installment in the Mass Effect series.
Just two years ago, BioWare boasted over 200 employees, deeply engaged in the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. However, after its release, Electronic Arts (EA) restructured the studio to focus exclusively on Mass Effect 5. As a result, some team members from Veilguard were reassigned to other EA projects. Notably, John Epler, the creative director for Veilguard, has transitioned to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game, Skate, while senior writer Sheryl Chee has moved to Motive Studio to contribute to the Iron Man project.
The restructuring was prompted by Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underwhelming performance. EA disclosed that the game attracted only 1.5 million players during its latest financial quarter, a figure that fell short of the company's expectations by nearly 50%. Bloomberg reports that the staff reassignments to other EA studios have now become permanent, effectively reducing BioWare's headcount further.
In the aftermath, several BioWare employees announced their layoffs on social media. Notable departures include editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. This recent round of layoffs follows previous staff reductions at BioWare in 2023, compounded by the recent exit of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.
When questioned by IGN about the specifics of these changes, EA provided a vague response, emphasizing the studio's shift in focus to Mass Effect without disclosing exact numbers of affected employees. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that approximately two dozen individuals were impacted by these layoffs, highlighting the challenges faced during Veilguard's development, including forced integration and subsequent reversal of live-service elements.
Amidst concerns about the future of the Dragon Age franchise, a former BioWare writer reassured fans, stating, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now." Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a dedicated "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.
