Mass Effect 5: BioWare Doesn't 'Require Support From the Full Studio', EA Moves Some Staff to Other Teams

EA has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect. The company is shifting its focus entirely to the upcoming Mass Effect game, moving several developers to other projects within EA. In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is using the time between full development cycles to "reimagine how we work at BioWare."

McKay noted that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required for Mass Effect. He emphasized the talent at BioWare, stating that the studio has worked to match many colleagues with other suitable roles at EA over the past few months.

IGN reports that an undisclosed number of BioWare developers have already been placed in equivalent roles elsewhere within EA. A smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination but are being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.

BioWare has experienced multiple structural changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The most recent departure was director Corinne Busche last week. The exact number of current BioWare employees remains unclear. When asked for specifics on the number of affected individuals, potential layoffs, and remaining staff, EA did not provide details. However, an EA 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, announced four years ago, remains in early development. BioWare's current strategy is to focus on one game at a time. Some developers previously moved from Mass Effect to Dragon Age to help complete that project are now returning to Mass Effect. The development is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.

This announcement follows EA's recent disclosure that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%, prompting EA to adjust its fiscal year guidance. This adjustment was also influenced by weaker-than-expected results from EA Sports FC 25. EA is scheduled to discuss its Q3 earnings on February 4.