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

BioWare has reportedly been reduced to fewer than 100 employees following layoffs and staff departures after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a subsequent restructuring to focus solely on the next Mass Effect game. According to Bloomberg, the studio had over 200 employees just two years ago, during the peak of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development.

Last week, EA restructured BioWare to concentrate exclusively on Mass Effect 5, which led to the relocation of some Dragon Age: The Veilguard team members to other EA studios. Game Developer reported that John Epler, the creative director of Veilguard, transitioned to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game, Skate. Similarly, senior writer Sheryl Chee moved from BioWare to contribute to the Iron Man project at Motive.

This decision came after EA announced that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had not met its sales expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter, a significant 50% shortfall from projections. Bloomberg noted that these staff relocations are now permanent, and those working at other EA studios are no longer considered BioWare employees.

In the aftermath of the announcement, several BioWare developers took to social media to confirm their layoffs and job search, 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 follows previous layoffs at BioWare in 2023 and the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.

When asked by IGN about the specifics of the layoffs, EA provided a vague response, emphasizing that the studio's full focus is now on Mass Effect and that it has the "right number of people in the right roles" for the project's current stage of development. Bloomberg reported that approximately two dozen people were affected by the latest layoffs, with some staff members expressing relief that Dragon Age: The Veilguard managed to launch as a complete game despite EA's fluctuating development strategy.

As concerns grow among Dragon Age fans about the future of the series, a former BioWare writer reassured fans that "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now." Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare is working on the next Mass Effect game, led by veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others.