Layoffs Hit BioWare's Veilguard Team

BioWare's workforce has reportedly shrunk to under 100 employees following recent layoffs and departures. This reduction comes after the release of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and a restructuring to prioritize the next Mass Effect title.

Bloomberg reported BioWare employed over 200 individuals two years ago during Dreadwolf's peak development. Last week's EA restructuring, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, resulted in some Dreadwolf staff being transferred to other EA studios. Game Developer noted that Dreadwolf's creative director, John Epler, moved to Full Circle's Skate project, while senior writer Sheryl Chee transitioned to Motive's Iron Man development.

This restructuring followed EA's announcement of Dreadwolf's underperformance, falling nearly 50% short of projected player engagement (EA reported 1.5 million engaged players). Bloomberg clarified that initial staff "loans" to other EA studios are now permanent transfers.

However, several BioWare developers confirmed layoffs on social media, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. BioWare also experienced layoffs in 2023, and Dreadwolf director Corinne Busche departed last month.

EA offered a vague response to IGN's inquiry about the impact of the changes, stating the studio is appropriately staffed for the current Mass Effect development phase, but declining to provide specific numbers. Bloomberg estimates approximately two dozen layoffs. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff consider Dreadwolf's completion a remarkable achievement given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed. IGN previously documented Dreadwolf's development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

Amidst fan concerns about the future of Dragon Age, a former BioWare writer offered a message of hope: "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

EA confirmed that a core team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy (including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others), is developing the next Mass Effect game.