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

Key Dragon Age developers depart BioWare following Mass Effect 5 focus.

On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare has shifted numerous developers to other EA projects, concentrating solely on Mass Effect 5. General manager Gary McKay explained this restructuring as a chance to "reimagine how we work" between development cycles, stating the full studio wasn't needed at this stage. While many BioWare employees were successfully placed in other suitable EA roles, some Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for 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 exit of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.

EA's response regarding the impact of these changes remained vague, only stating that the studio is appropriately staffed for the current Mass Effect development phase. They did not provide specific numbers on affected individuals.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new entry in the series in a decade, concluded its development last week with a final update. The game's underwhelming performance, including a 50% shortfall in sales expectations (1.5 million players versus the projected 3 million), and the absence of post-launch DLC, contributed to the situation. Previous reports have detailed development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a veteran team, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is leading the development of the next Mass Effect game.