EA has announced a significant restructuring at Dragon Age and Mass Effect developer BioWare, shifting several team members to other projects within EA and focusing exclusively on the upcoming Mass Effect game. In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay stated that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare."
McKay explained that at this stage of development, "we don’t require support from the full studio." He highlighted the talent within BioWare, noting that over the past few months, they have worked to place many colleagues in suitable roles across EA. IGN has learned that an unspecified number of BioWare developers have already been reassigned to other roles within EA. Additionally, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination, though they are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.
BioWare has undergone multiple structural changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The most recent departure was director Corinne Busche, who left the studio last week. The current number of employees at BioWare remains undisclosed. IGN reached out to EA for details on the impact of these changes, but EA did not provide specific numbers. However, an EA spokesperson commented, "The studio's priority was Dragon Age. During this time there were people continuing to build the vision for the next Mass Effect. Now that The Veilguard has shipped, the studio's full focus is Mass Effect."
The spokesperson added, "While we're not sharing numbers, the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development." The new Mass Effect game, announced four years ago, is still in its early stages. BioWare's current strategy is to concentrate on one game at a time. Developers previously working on Mass Effect were moved to Dragon Age to complete the project and are now transitioning back to Mass Effect. The development is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.
This announcement follows EA's recent disclosure that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%, contributing to EA's decision to adjust its fiscal year guidance. This adjustment was also influenced by weaker-than-expected performance from EA Sports FC 25. EA is scheduled to discuss its Q3 earnings on February 4.
