January 30th 2025.
It's safe to say that all eyes are currently on the highly-anticipated game, Mass Effect. However, despite previous assurances from BioWare that their employees had found new positions within EA, it appears that many of them have actually been let go.
Last week, EA made the admission that both EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard did not perform as well as they had hoped. While the former's lackluster performance was a surprise, given the immense success of EA's football games, it was the latter that had the most immediate impact.
Exact sales figures were not shared by EA, only their statement that The Veilguard had "engaged approximately 1.5 million players" during the third quarter of the fiscal year - which falls short of EA's expectations by almost half.
The lack of success for The Veilguard has caused a reorganization within BioWare as they continue to work on the next installment of Mass Effect. Initially, it was implied that this reorganization would not result in any job losses, but it seems that this is not the case.
BioWare's general manager, Gary McKay, announced the reorganization in a blog post yesterday, but with a much more positive spin on the situation and without any mention of The Veilguard's underperformance. He stated that a core team at BioWare is currently working on the next Mass Effect game, under the leadership of veterans from the original trilogy such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.
It's no secret that the next Mass Effect is a crucial project for BioWare. It's been over a decade since the beloved original trilogy ended, and the mixed reception of 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda left fans disappointed. One would assume that BioWare would want all hands on deck for this project, but according to McKay, the studio does not require support from their full team at this stage of development. This means that an unknown number of staff have been reassigned to other unknown projects.
McKay did mention that some staff members were able to secure new positions within other departments at EA, but this still resulted in layoffs for BioWare. While neither BioWare nor EA have openly acknowledged this, several BioWare employees have taken to social media to announce that they are looking for new work.
Some of the employees affected include narrative designer Trick Weekes, editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, associate producer Daniel Steed, senior product manager Lina Anderson, and systems designer Michelle Flam. It has also been reported by Insider Gaming's Mike Straw on Reddit that "at least a few dozen" employees were let go from BioWare and there may potentially be more layoffs to come.
When asked for specifics on BioWare's restructuring, EA only reiterated that "the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development." It's uncertain how far along the next Mass Effect game is, as it was only teased with a short cinematic trailer in 2020 and BioWare has not shared much information since.
It's worth noting that BioWare previously experienced layoffs in 2023, resulting in a 20% reduction in their workforce. At the time, McKay stated that this was necessary to "meet the needs of our upcoming projects" and "continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality." These same phrases were reiterated in yesterday's blog post.
Considering how BioWare has been managed in the past decade, it's a wonder the studio has not been shut down yet. After the disappointing launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda, BioWare attempted to create a multiplayer live service game, Anthem, in hopes of rivaling Bungie's Destiny. However, Anthem's mixed reviews and failure to meet sales expectations led to its abandonment in early 2021 despite promises of a "substantial reinvention."
Dragon Age: The Veilguard then became BioWare's next priority, but it was far from smooth sailing. Reports suggest that it was originally envisioned as a multiplayer live service game, but was transformed into a traditional single-player experience due to Anthem's failure. The game then disappeared from the public eye for years and was only recently shown at the Xbox showcase in 2020 with a new subtitle and poorly received trailer.
With the pressure on Mass Effect to succeed higher than ever before, any underperformance could potentially spell the end for BioWare. Fans can only hope that the studio can overcome these challenges and deliver a successful game. In the meantime, you can share your thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard by emailing us, leaving a comment, following us on Twitter, or signing up for our newsletter.
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Lastly, it has been reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard sold even less than Star Wars Outlaws in the UK and that a Mass Effect TV show is in the works, but the chosen writer has raised some concerns. Additionally, there have been rumors that a significant number of developers have left the Battlefield 6 series.
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