Corinne Busche, the director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is reportedly set to depart from EA-owned BioWare in the coming weeks. Busche, who took the helm of the game's direction from February 2022 until its launch in October of the previous year, is leaving the studio amidst ongoing discussions about the game's performance. Eurogamer has reported on her departure, and IGN has reached out to EA for further comment on the matter.
Since its release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been under scrutiny regarding its success. Despite these concerns, Eurogamer assures that Busche's exit will not trigger any additional changes within the studio. Busche joined BioWare in 2019 following her time at Maxis, where she contributed to the design of various The Sims projects. Her leadership was pivotal in steering Dragon Age: The Veilguard through its final development stages, transforming it from a multiplayer concept into a robust single-player RPG, as detailed in IGN’s article, ‘How BioWare Finally Got Dragon Age to the Finish Line After a Tumultuous Decade.’
Eurogamer clarifies that Busche's departure from BioWare is not connected to the commercial performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. EA has yet to disclose whether the game's sales and revenue have met or exceeded expectations, with the company set to reveal its Q3 2025 financial results on February 4.
Meanwhile, BioWare has confirmed that there will be no DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as the studio shifts its focus to Mass Effect 5, a project that has been teased over the years but has not yet been officially revealed.
In August 2023, BioWare underwent significant changes, including the layoff of approximately 50 employees, among them narrative designer Mary Kirby, a veteran who had been with the company since the inception of the Dragon Age series. These layoffs were part of a broader internal restructuring at EA, which saw the company divided into sports and non-sports divisions. That summer also saw rumors of BioWare's potential acquisition and the decision to allow Star Wars: The Old Republic to transition to a third-party service, freeing BioWare to concentrate on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The journey of Dragon Age: The Veilguard continued into 2024, marked by a rocky reveal. The initial trailer received negative feedback, prompting BioWare to quickly release an early gameplay teaser to reassure fans. The game's name change from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard also met with mixed reactions. However, subsequent impressions of the game were generally positive.
With Busche's departure and the studio's focus shifting, fans of Dragon Age are left pondering whether BioWare will have the opportunity to develop another sequel to The Veilguard.
