As a passionate moviegoer, I’m sharing the news that the job cuts at BioWare have started, following the disastrous performance of their latest project, “Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Although BioWare’s initial reorganization plan mentioned shifting team members to different EA divisions without using the term “layoffs,” it is now evident that developers involved in the creation of Veilguard are being let go.
Following the departure of Veilguard’s director, Corinne Busche – an event presented as a voluntary choice, but widely perceived as involuntary – due to her supervision of one of BioWare’s most catastrophic releases, which many consider less than desirable.
Yesterday, BioWare shared an update on their official blog, revealing a change in their primary project. In this post, studio head Gary McKay declared that they will be solely concentrating on the upcoming Mass Effect game. Essentially, this decision means Dragon Age might take a backseat following the poor response to the latest edition.
In this phase, McKay stated, “We don’t need assistance from the entire studio as such. We’re blessed with an extraordinary team here at BioWare, and we’ve been proactive in placing many of our staff members on other EA teams that have vacancies which suit their skills well.
But apparently he didn’t mean all of their colleagues.
Two seasoned BioWare employees, Trick Weekes and Karin West Weekes, who have been with the company for a long time, announced their departures on Bluesky. Trick Weekes, who held the position of lead writer for Veilguard, was instrumental in creating every game and expansion within the original Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, and Inquisition.
As a follower, I’m one of those who had to leave BioWare along with Karin Weekes, an editor known for her work on Mass Effect 2, 3, Andromeda, and several Dragon Age titles. The layoffs at BioWare aren’t just limited to the writing staff; producers, system designers, analysts, and other team members have also been let go as EA is restructuring the studio to concentrate more on Mass Effect.
Both Trick and Karin confirmed that they were let go through posts on Bluesky.
Beyond the notable departures of the lead writer and editor from Dragon Age: Veilguard, it’s clear that significant BioWare team members from various fields have also been let go, as Electronic Arts (EA) continues to implement major changes in the studio’s structure.
One of them is Ryan Cormier, a former editor who was involved in projects like “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” “Anthem,” and “Veilguard.” His exit suggests that BioWare might be distancing itself from the team behind its latest failure, possibly to restore some of the studio’s tarnished reputation.
As a devoted movie buff, I’d like to mention that Jennifer Cheverie, a seasoned BioWare professional with years of service under her belt, has moved on. She was instrumental in various roles such as tester, analyst, and producer for significant projects like Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Anthem, and Veilguard. With her departure, BioWare is losing yet another key figure from its modern development team. This team, which has faced challenges in consistently delivering the top-tier experiences that once epitomized BioWare’s golden age.
As a dedicated movie critic, I’ve got some unfortunate news to share about behind-the-scenes shakeups at the studio. Recently, I learned that Daniel Steed, a key producer on “Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith” and “Veilguard,” along with Lina Anderson, a seasoned product manager, have been let go. Additionally, Michelle Flamm, a skilled systems designer, and Mad Bee, an accomplished UX designer, found themselves unexpectedly parting ways with the company. These departures mark a significant loss for their respective projects and the industry as a whole.
This recent event serves as a stark reminder of the aftermath caused by The Veilguard’s commercial failure. Initially, Electronic Arts (EA) anticipated that the game would be sold more than 10 million times throughout its entire life. However, it struggled to attract even 1.5 million players, with rumors suggesting over 30,000 returns and numerous retailer discounts.
GameStop significantly reduced the cost of new games to $24.99, which is a substantial 65% decrease from the initial price of $69.99 at launch. This move also devalued the trade-in value within a week, indicating a dramatic drop in demand. This situation has put Electronic Arts (EA) in a challenging position as they try to minimize the impact.
The job cuts at BioWare are due to their inability to engage players effectively, as the development of Veilguard focused more on political identity than captivating storytelling and environment creation. Fans found the game’s mood and shallow content unappealing, which resulted in its financial downfall. By letting go of those involved, EA seems to be admitting that this approach was incorrect.
Simultaneously, BioWare has reassured fans that those crafting the upcoming Mass Effect are seasoned professionals from the initial trilogy, such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.
Instead of Veilguard, which distanced its primary fans, this unveiling could hint at a reversion to the franchise’s original style, though it doesn’t promise certainty.
The job cuts at BioWare signify a significant change in direction for the company. It appears that EA is attempting to move away from the disappointment of Veilguard’s performance and restructure BioWare around its more prosperous series. With Mass Effect being their primary focus, the studio has one final opportunity to win back player trust and demonstrate that they can still produce an exceptional role-playing game. Whether they will succeed in this endeavor is yet to be determined, but at least they won’t repeat the same errors that led to Veilguard’s downfall.
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2025-02-01 02:55