BioWare Shifts Staff for Mass Effect 5, No Full Studio Needed

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind the acclaimed Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. This move involves shifting numerous developers to other projects within EA, with the studio now focusing exclusively on the upcoming Mass Effect game.

In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare." He further noted that at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required. McKay emphasized the studio's talented workforce, stating that they have been diligently matching many colleagues with suitable roles in other EA teams over the past few months.

According to IGN, an unspecified number of BioWare developers have already transitioned into equivalent positions 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. Notably, director Corinne Busche announced her departure from the studio just last week. The current number of employees at BioWare remains unclear. IGN reached out to EA for more details on the impact of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and those facing potential layoffs. EA did not provide specific numbers but shared the following statement:

"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 game, announced four years ago, is still in its early development phase. BioWare's current strategy is to concentrate on one game at a time. Developers who were previously moved from Mass Effect to Dragon Age to help complete the project are now returning to work on Mass Effect. The development of the new Mass Effect is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.

This restructuring news follows EA's recent announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%. This, along with weaker-than-expected results from EA Sports FC 25, led EA to adjust its fiscal year guidance. The company is scheduled to discuss its Q3 earnings in a conference call on February 4.