BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard Team Shrinks Below 100 After Layoffs

BioWare, the renowned video game developer behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, has seen its workforce shrink dramatically, now reportedly employing fewer than 100 people. This significant reduction follows the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a strategic pivot by parent company EA to concentrate solely on the development of the next Mass Effect game.

Just two years ago, during the peak of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's production, BioWare boasted over 200 employees, according to Bloomberg. However, following the game's release and EA's restructuring efforts, the studio has undergone substantial changes. Last week, EA announced a refocus of BioWare's efforts exclusively on Mass Effect 5. This shift led to the reassignment of some Dragon Age: The Veilguard team members to other EA studios. Notably, John Epler, the creative director for Veilguard, has been moved to Full Circle to work on the upcoming skateboarding game Skate, while senior writer Sheryl Chee has transitioned to Motive to contribute to the Iron Man project.

The decision to restructure came after EA revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard did not meet their sales expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players in the recent financial quarter—a figure that fell nearly 50% short of projections. Bloomberg further reported that these staff reassignments to other studios are now permanent, with those employees no longer considered part of BioWare.

In addition to the reassignments, several BioWare employees were laid off and have publicly announced their search for new employment. Notable among them are editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. This wave of layoffs follows another round in 2023, and the departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche last month.

When asked by IGN for detailed numbers regarding the layoffs and remaining staff at BioWare, EA provided a vague response, stating: "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."

Bloomberg reported that approximately two dozen individuals were affected by the recent layoffs at BioWare. Jason Schreier, the author of the Bloomberg report, noted that BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released as a complete game, especially given the challenges posed by EA's initial push for a live-service model and subsequent reversal. IGN has previously covered some of the development hurdles faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including earlier layoffs and the departure of several key project leads.

Amidst concerns about the future of the Dragon Age series, a former BioWare writer reassured fans, stating, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

Looking forward, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare is now focused on developing the next Mass Effect game, led by veterans from the original trilogy such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.