Layoffs Hit Dragon Age Devs as BioWare Shifts Focus to Mass Effect

Key Dragon Age developers depart BioWare following Mass Effect 5 focus shift.

BioWare's restructuring to prioritize Mass Effect 5 has resulted in several key Dragon Age developers leaving the studio. This follows an earlier round of layoffs in 2023 and the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director, Corinne Busche.

The news broke on January 29th, with IGN reporting that BioWare had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects. General manager Gary McKay explained the studio is "reimagining how we work" between development cycles and doesn't currently require the full studio's support for Mass Effect 5. While some developers were transitioned to other EA roles, a smaller number of Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for other positions within EA.

Several prominent BioWare developers publicly announced their departures, 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.

EA's response regarding the number of affected individuals remained vague, stating that the studio has the necessary personnel for the current stage of Mass Effect 5 development. However, the recent underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which fell short of sales expectations by 50%, likely contributed to the restructuring. The game's lack of post-launch DLC further disappointed fans.

The future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain following this significant exodus of talent. Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a core team of veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy is leading the development of Mass Effect 5.