BioWare Shifts Staff for New Mass Effect, No Full Studio Push

EA Restructures BioWare, Focusing Entirely on the Next Mass Effect Game

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced a restructuring of BioWare, the studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. The restructuring involves reassigning a number of developers to other EA projects and concentrating all remaining resources on the upcoming Mass Effect game.

In a blog post, BioWare general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is using the time between major development cycles to "reimagine how we work at BioWare." He stated that the current Mass Effect development phase doesn't require the full studio's support. Many BioWare employees have been transitioned to other suitable roles within EA. A smaller number of Dragon Age team members have had their positions terminated, but are being offered the opportunity to apply for other roles within the company.

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, most recently director Corinne Busche. The exact current employee count at BioWare remains undisclosed. While EA declined to provide specific numbers regarding the impact of the restructuring, a spokesperson confirmed that the studio now has the appropriate staffing for the current Mass Effect development stage, with the focus shifting entirely to that project following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The spokesperson emphasized that the studio's priority was previously Dragon Age, and that personnel previously working on Mass Effect were temporarily assigned to Dragon Age to ensure its completion.

The new Mass Effect game, announced four years ago, is still in its early stages of development. BioWare's current strategy prioritizes a single game at a time. Veteran Mass Effect developers, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, are now leading the project.

This announcement follows EA's recent revelation that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of player acquisition targets by almost 50%, leading to a downward revision of the company's fiscal year guidance. EA will discuss its Q3 earnings on February 4.