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

Key Dragon Age developers depart BioWare following restructuring for Mass Effect 5.

On January 29th, IGN reported that BioWare had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects, concentrating solely on Mass Effect 5. General manager Gary McKay explained this restructuring as an opportunity to "reimagine how we work" between development cycles, stating that the full studio's support wasn't currently needed for Mass Effect 5. While many BioWare employees were successfully placed in other suitable EA roles, a smaller number of Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for internal positions.

Subsequently, several BioWare developers announced their departure 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 employees.

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 the absence of post-launch DLC and a 50% shortfall in projected sales (1.5 million players versus the expected 3 million), has been well-documented, alongside previous challenges including layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

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