EA has recently announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. This move involves reallocating a number of BioWare's developers to other projects within EA, with the studio now focusing exclusively on the upcoming Mass Effect game.
In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is taking the opportunity between development cycles to "reimagine how we work at BioWare." He emphasized that at this stage of development for the new Mass Effect, the full studio's support is not required. To make the best use of BioWare's talent, efforts have been made over the past few months to place many of the studio's colleagues into other suitable roles within EA.
IGN has learned that an unspecified number of BioWare developers have already been reassigned to equivalent roles within EA. A smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination, but they are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.
BioWare has undergone several structural changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and numerous high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Most recently, director Corinne Busche announced her departure. The exact number of current BioWare employees remains unclear. When asked for more details on the impact of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and those facing potential layoffs, EA did not provide specific figures. However, a spokesperson stated that the studio's priority had been Dragon Age, and with The Veilguard now shipped, the full focus is on Mass Effect. They added that BioWare currently has the "right number of people in the right roles" for the Mass Effect project at its current stage.
The new Mass Effect game, announced four years ago, is still in its early development phase. BioWare's strategy is to concentrate on one game at a time. Some developers who had been working on Mass Effect were temporarily moved to Dragon Age to help complete the project and are now returning to Mass Effect. The development of the new Mass Effect is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.
This restructuring comes shortly after EA disclosed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%, prompting EA 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.
