Last weekend, around a hundred BioWare developers (the studio behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard) learned they will no longer have a future at the studio. According to reports, the Edmonton-based company is now down to around a hundred employees, a 50% drop from what it was in 2023.
The layoff was blamed on Electronic Arts’ decision to cut roles and reorganize employees within the company. Developers who believed they were temporarily loaned to other EA studios following the launch of Veilguard were surprisingly informed the move was permanent.
BioWare had earlier confirmed that some employees would be moving to support other EA projects, including Skate and Iron Man since the next installment in the Mass Effect franchise was still in pre-production and didn’t require the entire studio.
A Bloomberg report claimed some of the transferred staff had thought it was a temporary decision until they were informed this week that their loan is now permanent and were no longer BioWare employees. Those who want to continue with BioWare were asked to look for job openings.
Recently, EA lowered its revenue forecast for the current business year. The decision was partly blamed on the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA Sports FC 25. The former attracted around 1.5 million players in the first two months of release which the parent company said was almost half what it anticipated.
Ex BioWare developers are asking for your help
Following the reorganization by BioWare’s parent company, some developers who worked on Veilguard are now soliciting the help of their connections to land new roles. Many of them shared posts on LinkedIn to this effect.
ALSO READ: How To Stop Sweaty Hands When Gaming—9 Tricks
“After 14 years, working on some of my favorite game titles with incredible people at BioWare, I am now looking for my next career adventure!” wrote producer Jennifer Cheverie Cott.
Another person who confirmed his departure was narrative writer and editor Ryan Cormier who wrote, “So, my time at BioWare has ended. It was a wild ride with some fantastic people, but it’s time to look for new challenges”.
It appears the bulk of those impacted have spent many years in the company. For example, narrative pillar development director for Veilguard, Chris Smith wrote, “Like many others, my role at BioWare was impacted last week after 8 great years. I’m seeking a new role and would appreciate your support”.
“Like so many other amazing people it’s time to turn the page in my amazing 3-decade long journey in game development,” wrote lead producer Thomas Singleton. “The amazing people in this industry make it the best career on earth and the passionate talented team at Bioware are among the best.”
Lead character development director Claudine Kaprielian who spent 9 years with the studio also confirmed their departure. Several other employees also posted about leaving the studio although we couldn’t capture their posts at this time.
Interestingly, BioWare’s page still lists its company size as 501—1,000, although it is believed the right number is closer to 100. This shows it has been a long time since the page was updated as well as how much the company’s workforce has declined over the years.
