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

Several key Dragon Age developers have departed BioWare following a studio restructuring prioritizing the development of the next Mass Effect game. This news follows a report by IGN on January 29th, detailing BioWare's reallocation of developers to other EA projects.

BioWare's general manager, Gary McKay, explained the restructuring as a strategic move to "reimagine how we work" between major development cycles. He stated that the full studio's support wasn't currently needed for Mass Effect 5 and that many employees were successfully transitioned to other suitable roles within EA. However, a smaller number of 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, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Patrick Weekes, and editor Ryan Cormier. Producer Jen Cheverie and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm also confirmed their exits. 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 remained vague, stating only that the studio is appropriately staffed for the current phase of Mass Effect development.

The recent conclusion of work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, marked by a final major update and the absence of planned post-launch DLC, further underscores the shift in BioWare's focus. The game's underperformance, falling short of sales projections by 50%, has been widely reported, adding context to the recent developer departures. Previous challenges during its development, including layoffs and the loss of key personnel, have also been documented.

Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a core team of Mass Effect veterans, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others, are leading the development of the next Mass Effect title.