Key Dragon Age developers depart BioWare following Mass Effect 5 restructuring.
On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare, following a restructuring to prioritize Mass Effect 5, had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects. General manager Gary McKay stated the studio is "reimagining how we work" between development cycles and that the full studio's support wasn't currently needed for the Dragon Age project. While many were placed in equivalent roles within EA, some Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for other internal positions.
Subsequently, several BioWare developers announced their departures on 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 departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.
EA's response regarding the impact of these changes remained vague, stating the studio is appropriately staffed for Mass Effect 5's current development phase. They did not provide specific numbers regarding affected individuals.
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 underperformance, falling short of sales expectations by 50% (1.5 million players versus the projected 3 million), and the lack of planned post-launch DLC, contributed to the situation. The game's development had already been marked by challenges, including previous layoffs and the departure of key personnel.
Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a core team of Mass Effect veterans, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, are leading the development of the next Mass Effect game.
