BioWare, the renowned game development studio, has reportedly reduced its workforce to fewer than 100 employees following a series of layoffs and staff transitions after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This comes as part of a broader restructuring by Electronic Arts (EA) to concentrate BioWare's efforts solely on the upcoming Mass Effect 5.
Just two years ago, during the peak of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development, BioWare boasted a team of over 200, according to Bloomberg. However, following the recent release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, EA announced a strategic shift to focus exclusively on Mass Effect 5. This decision led to the relocation of several key staff members to other EA studios. For instance, John Epler, the creative director of Veilguard, has moved to Full Circle to work on the new skateboarding game Skate, while senior writer Sheryl Chee has transitioned to Motive to contribute to the Iron Man project.
The performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard played a significant role in these changes. EA disclosed that the game engaged 1.5 million players in its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell short of the company's expectations by nearly 50%. As a result, the staff reallocations initially described as "loans" have become permanent moves, effectively reducing the number of employees directly associated with BioWare.
In the wake of these changes, several BioWare developers, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm, have confirmed their layoffs via social media and are now seeking new opportunities. This latest round of layoffs follows previous staff reductions at BioWare in 2023, compounded by the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.
When queried about the specifics of the layoffs and the current state of BioWare's workforce, EA provided a non-committal response, emphasizing their focus on Mass Effect without disclosing exact numbers. Bloomberg's report suggests that around two dozen individuals were affected by the recent layoffs. Jason Schreier from Bloomberg highlighted the challenges faced during Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development, noting that it was a "miracle" the game was released in a complete state after EA's fluctuating approach to integrating live-service elements.
As the future of the Dragon Age series remains uncertain, one former BioWare writer offered a message of hope to fans, stating, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now." Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a dedicated "core team" at BioWare is actively working on Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, among others.
