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

BioWare's workforce has reportedly shrunk to under 100 employees following recent layoffs and departures, primarily stemming from the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a corporate restructuring prioritizing the next Mass Effect title.

Bloomberg reported BioWare employed over 200 individuals two years ago during The Veilguard's development. Last week's EA restructuring, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, resulted in some The Veilguard staff being transferred to other EA studios. This included creative director John Epler moving to Full Circle's Skate project and senior writer Sheryl Chee joining Motive's Iron Man team, according to Game Developer.

These transfers, initially described as temporary assignments by Bloomberg, are now permanent relocations, effectively removing these individuals from BioWare's employee roster. However, other employees confirmed layoffs and are currently seeking new employment opportunities. Several BioWare developers publicly announced their layoffs on social media, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm.

This latest reduction follows 2023 layoffs and the departure of The Veilguard director Corinne Busche last month. While EA provided a vague response to IGN's inquiry regarding the exact number of affected employees, Bloomberg estimates approximately two dozen layoffs. BioWare staff reportedly view The Veilguard's completion as a remarkable achievement, given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed. IGN previously documented The Veilguard's development challenges, including earlier layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

Amidst fan concerns about the future of the Dragon Age franchise, a former BioWare writer offered a message of reassurance: "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

Regarding Mass Effect, EA confirmed a core team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original trilogy (including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley), is developing the next installment.