Dragon Age Developers Reveal They’ve Been Laid Off After BioWare Puts ‘Full Focus’ on Mass Effect

Key Dragon Age developers have left BioWare following a studio restructuring that prioritizes the development of the next Mass Effect game. On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects. General manager Gary McKay explained that this realignment, occurring between development cycles, allows the studio to "reimagine how we work," stating that the full studio's support wasn't required for the current Mass Effect development phase. Many BioWare employees were successfully placed in suitable roles within EA. However, some Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for other internal positions.

Following this announcement, several BioWare developers publicly announced their departures on social media. Among them were 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 previous layoffs in 2023 and the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.

EA's response to inquiries regarding the number of affected employees was non-specific, stating that the studio is appropriately staffed for the current Mass Effect development phase. They emphasized that the studio's focus has shifted entirely to Mass Effect following the completion of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new entry in the fantasy RPG series in a decade, concluded its development last week with what appeared to be its final major update. The game's launch was notably underwhelming, with BioWare confirming the absence of post-launch DLC, a decision that surprised fans. EA further acknowledged that Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations by 50%, achieving only 1.5 million players instead of the projected three million. The game's development had already been documented as facing numerous challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

The development of the next Mass Effect game is proceeding with a core team of BioWare veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.