"Mass Effect 5: BioWare Not Needing Full Studio Support, EA Shifts Staff"

EA has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises. The company is shifting its focus entirely to the upcoming Mass Effect game, moving several developers to other projects within EA. 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 noted that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required for the Mass Effect project.

McKay emphasized that BioWare has "incredible talent," and over the past few months, the studio has been working to place many of its colleagues in suitable roles across EA. IGN has learned that an unspecified number of BioWare developers have already been reassigned to equivalent positions within EA. Additionally, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination, though they are being given the opportunity to apply for other roles within the company.

BioWare has undergone multiple structural changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The most recent departure was director Corinne Busche, who left the studio last week. The current number of employees at BioWare remains unclear. When asked for specifics on the impact of these changes, including the number of affected individuals and potential layoffs, EA did not provide detailed figures. However, a spokesperson stated:

"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 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 on February 4.