Key Dragon Age developers depart BioWare following restructuring for Mass Effect 5.
On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare, in its complete shift to Mass Effect 5 development, had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects. General manager Gary McKay explained this restructuring as an opportunity to "reimagine how we work" between development cycles, stating that the full studio's support wasn't currently needed for Mass Effect 5. While many BioWare employees were successfully transitioned to other suitable roles within EA, a smaller number of Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for internal positions.
Subsequently, several BioWare developers announced their departures via social media. This includes 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 exit of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.
EA's response to inquiries regarding the number of affected employees remained vague, confirming a shift in focus to Mass Effect 5 with a team deemed sufficient for the current development stage. They did not provide specific numbers of those reassigned, laid off, or remaining at BioWare.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new entry in the series in a decade, concluded its development last week with what appeared to be its final major update. The game's launch was notably lacking post-launch DLC, a surprise to fans given previous Dragon Age titles. EA acknowledged that sales fell significantly short of projections, reaching only 1.5 million players compared to the anticipated 3 million. The game's troubled development has been previously documented, including earlier layoffs and the departure of several key personnel.
Meanwhile, 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 spearheading the development of the next Mass Effect game.
