BioWare, the acclaimed studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, has reportedly seen its workforce shrink to fewer than 100 employees following layoffs and staff exits after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This comes after a strategic restructuring by EA to shift BioWare's focus exclusively to the next Mass Effect game. Just two years ago, Bloomberg reported that BioWare had over 200 employees while in the midst of developing Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Last week, EA restructured BioWare to concentrate solely on Mass Effect 5, prompting the reassignment of some Veilguard team members to other EA studios. According to Game Developer, John Epler, the creative director of Veilguard, was moved to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game Skate. Similarly, Veilguard's senior writer Sheryl Chee transitioned to work on Iron Man at Motive Studio.
The restructuring followed EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had underperformed, engaging only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% below EA's projections. Bloomberg clarified that these staff reassignments to other EA studios are now permanent, meaning those employees are no longer considered part of BioWare.
In addition to reassignments, layoffs have affected BioWare, with several developers taking to social media to announce their departures. Among those affected are 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. This latest round of layoffs follows another in 2023, and Veilguard director Corinne Busche also announced her departure from BioWare last month.
When asked by IGN about the specifics of the layoffs and remaining staff at BioWare, EA provided a vague response, stating that the studio's priority was Dragon Age and that it now has "the right number of people in the right roles" to work on Mass Effect. Bloomberg reported that approximately two dozen employees were affected by the layoffs, with Jason Schreier noting that Dragon Age: The Veilguard managed to release as a complete game despite EA's fluctuating plans regarding live-service elements.
As fans of the Dragon Age series express concern for its future, a former BioWare writer reassured fans by saying, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now." Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is now focused on developing the next Mass Effect game.
