Electronic Arts (EA) has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind the popular Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. The company is shifting its focus entirely to the upcoming Mass Effect game, moving several developers to other projects within EA and reallocating resources. 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, the full studio's support is not required for the Mass Effect project. He emphasized the talent within BioWare, noting that the studio has been working to place many of its colleagues into suitable roles across EA. IGN has learned that an undisclosed number of BioWare developers have already been transitioned into equivalent 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.
BioWare's organizational structure has undergone numerous changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Notably, director Corinne Busche left the studio last week. The current number of employees at BioWare remains unclear. When asked for specifics on the impact of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and potential layoffs, 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 game, announced four years ago, is still in its early development phase. BioWare's current strategy is to concentrate on one game at a time. Developers who were previously shifted from Mass Effect to Dragon Age to complete that project are now returning to work on Mass Effect. The development team includes series veterans such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.
This announcement follows EA's recent report that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%. This, along with weaker-than-expected performance from EA Sports FC 25, has led the company to adjust its fiscal year guidance. EA is scheduled to discuss its Q3 earnings in a conference call on February 4.
