Layoffs Reported as BioWare Shifts 'Renewed Focus' to Mass Effect, Dragon Age

To better focus on key franchises

by Khayl Adam Thu 29th Jun 2023

Developer BioWare has reported layoffs as the studio passes the torch of the venerable MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic to another (Broadsword). Now, its full attention turns to the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and the as-yet-unnamed next Mass Effect, the studio has said.

Word comes from a post on the BioWare blog, penned partially by both Gary McKay and Keith Kanneg, the general manager of BioWare and executive producer of SWTOR, respectively. McKay broke the tough news that while "most of the current team will be invited to accompany the game on its move [to Broadsword]", unfortunately, "not every role will make the move".

This signals a "renewed focus" on "our key franchises: Dragon Age and Mass Effect", as McKay puts it, providing a brief update on both. BioWare continues to "build, polish, and tune an exceptional experience we know our fans will love" with Dreadwolf (which is still at least a year away), and Mass Effect continues "pre-production with a core team of veteran storytellers who are bringing the deep franchise history forward", and likely much further out.

It's unknown how many positions will be affected, but we wish those that are all the very best. What do you think of this recalibration of BioWare's internal energy? Let us know in the comments section below.

[source blog.bioware.com]

Khayl Adam is Push Square's roving Australian correspondent, a reporter tasked with scouring the internet for the richest, most succulent PlayStation stories. With five years of experience as a freelance journalist and mercenary wordsmith, RPGs are his first great love, but strategy and tactics games are a close second, genres in which he is only too happy to specialize.

1
Uncharted2007
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Why not use those resources to work on the main projects to get them done quicker? Using the excuse of focus doesn't make much sense here. Still, glad to hear they are dropping other projects... they simply don't need to drop the resources.

2
Korgon
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Sad news but hopefully it will be for the best. Dreadwolf needs to come out next year and it needs to be good. I know a lot of folks have lost faith in Bioware but I still hold out hope they can right the ship. The next Mass Effect, while I know its still years away, is still one of my most anticipated titles of the generation...assuming it comes out this generation!😅

Hope the folks laid off land on their feet.

3
AverageGamer
Thu 29th Jun 2023

@Uncharted2007 "Why not use those resources to work on the main projects to get them done quicker"

What do you think they are doing? The renewed focus means that they are focused on getting those other games out quicker. That is why they offload STWOR to a 3rd party company and moving staff over to those games. If they didn't have renewed focus. They would just keep the game in house and have team continue to work on said title. Unfortunately, not all the staff can be move due to the fact you can't have duplicate of some positions and those other team already have those positions filled.

4
Drago201
Thu 29th Jun 2023

I am excited to see mass effect again

5
Triumph741
Thu 29th Jun 2023

@Drago201 Until DA releases don't be excited about anything Bioware does. They might be ready to get shut down behind the scenes.

6
Cashews
Thu 29th Jun 2023

I can't remember the last Bioware game worth playing.

7
Drago201
Thu 29th Jun 2023

@Triumph741 jeez I hope not at that point I'd just be wanting sony Nintendo or Microsoft to purchase them so we can still get mass effect 4? Is it called 4 🤔 idk

8
Vivisapprentice
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Crazy to think that since 2014 when they released Dragon Age Inquisition they have had 2 flops in nearly 10 years, Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda, so no wonder they're laying off people. They would of made a little bit off the Mass Effect collection and SWTOR might bring a bit of revenue. Sad to see but its the state of the world right now

9
Shadcai
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Hopefully dreadwolf has the same epic story as origins, I wish they had the same combat as well, but now it seems everything is going action focus.
But before dreadwolf releases they need to do a dragon age collection for this generation like mass effect.

10
CieloAzure
Thu 29th Jun 2023

I thought they already had a renewed focus for Mass Effect and Dragon age.

Bad time to get laid off, hopefully the games are on a good path.

11
Nem
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Well... apparently they kept pulling resources off SWTOR despite it being the money earner. The SWTOR leadership got upset and went to EA to solve the issue and now we got the move to broadsword.
This means Bioware will now have to deliver on their projects as they no longer will have the cashflow from SWTOR to finance them. SWTOR presumably will no longer have Bioware pulling resources from it and affecting content release schedules. Hopefully it's a win/win. But due to the cut on cashflow i suppose bioware has to let some people go, part of them just moving over to broadsword. They will now be under pressure to deliver their projects faster.

12
Drago201
Thu 29th Jun 2023

@BeerIsAwesome I tried recently replaying mass effect andromeda on my ps4 pro and I couldn't do it I just didn't like the way it played cuz when I 1st played it years ago I beat the story and all the side content so hopefully this next game plays like the 1st 3 😁

13
Mad001
Thu 29th Jun 2023

E.A should be completely hands off Bioware.
E.A does not have one clue they completely fumbled forcing Bioware to make athem completely crap game I tried it since I love Bioware games. Unbelievably crap it was like I wasn't playing the game I'm happy enough shooting away at enemies next thing the level was over someone finished it by completing the objective with that I uninstalled the game. Long as E.A owns Bioware those clowns will destroy the company anyone remember visceral games.....

14
Scottyy
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Why is it always Dragon Age and Mass Effect? Create a new IP.

15
Mythologue
Thu 29th Jun 2023

Good in a sense. ME and DA are what Bioware do best (aside from the fairly catastrophic Andromeda). I'm holding onto hope that ME:A and Anthem were just hiccups. Can't imagine there's much lamentation for the inevitable loss of a prospective Anthem 2.

@Triumph741 Yeah, how many studios have they shut down in the past two decades? Something like four, five? I recall Visceral, Black Box, Pandemic, maybe a couple others (I don't know if Ghost are still around, Criterion has been gutted). EA might be playing the reaper yet again.