Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dev BioWare Reportedly Down to Fewer Than 100 Employees Following Layoffs and Staff Exits

BioWare, the renowned video game studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, has reportedly been reduced to fewer than 100 employees following a series of layoffs and staff departures after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Just two years ago, during the peak of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development, BioWare boasted over 200 staff members, according to Bloomberg.

Last week, EA announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, shifting the studio's focus solely to the development of Mass Effect 5. As part of this restructuring, some employees who had worked on Dragon Age: The Veilguard were reassigned to other EA studios. Notable among these were John Epler, the creative director of Veilguard, who was moved to Full Circle to work on the upcoming skateboarding game Skate, and senior writer Sheryl Chee, who transitioned to work on Iron Man at Motive Studio.

EA's decision to pivot came after Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed against the company's expectations. EA reported that the game engaged 1.5 million players in its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of their projections.

Bloomberg reported that these staff reassignments are now permanent moves, and those transferred to other EA studios are no longer considered BioWare employees. Concurrently, several BioWare developers announced their layoffs on social media. Among those seeking new opportunities 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 recent wave of layoffs follows a previous round in 2023, and comes on the heels of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche's departure from the studio last month.

When asked by IGN for specific details on the number of affected employees, potential layoffs, and the current headcount at BioWare, EA provided a vague response, stating that the studio's priority was Dragon Age and that it now has the right number of people in the right roles to focus on Mass Effect.

According to Bloomberg, around two dozen individuals were affected by the recent layoffs. Jason Schreier, the author of the Bloomberg report, noted that BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that Dragon Age: The Veilguard was completed, especially after EA's attempts to implement and then abandon live-service elements. IGN has previously detailed some of the development challenges faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads at various stages.

Amid concerns from Dragon Age fans about the future of the series, a former BioWare writer offered reassurance, saying, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

Looking ahead, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, among others, is currently developing the next installment in the Mass Effect series.