EA has announced a significant restructuring of Dragon Age and Mass Effect developer BioWare, shifting focus entirely to its upcoming Mass Effect game. In a blog post, BioWare general manager Gary McKay stated that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare." He emphasized that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required for the new Mass Effect project.
As part of the restructuring, EA has reassigned an undisclosed number of BioWare developers to other roles within the company. A smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination but are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within EA. This move follows a series of changes at BioWare, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest being director Corinne Busche last week.
The exact number of employees currently at BioWare remains unclear. When asked for specifics on the number of affected individuals, potential layoffs, and those remaining at the studio, EA did not provide detailed figures. However, a 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. 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, announced four years ago, is still in its early stages. BioWare's strategy now is to concentrate on one game at a time. Developers previously moved from Mass Effect to Dragon Age to help complete The Veilguard are now transitioning back to work on Mass Effect. The project is being led by series veterans such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.
This announcement follows last week's news that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%. Coupled with disappointing results from EA Sports FC 25, EA has adjusted its fiscal year guidance accordingly. The company is set to discuss its Q3 earnings on February 4.
