BioWare Reduces Dragon Age Team Amid Studio Restructuring

BioWare has implemented staff reductions affecting several key developers from the Dragon Age: The Veilguard team. The layoffs follow the studio’s recent announcement of restructuring efforts as it prepares to focus on the next Mass Effect title. While BioWare has declined to specify the total number of affected employees, at least five team members have confirmed their departures through social media.

Among those affected are narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editors Karin West-Weekes, and Ryan Cormier. Senior systems designer Michelle Flamm and producer Jen Cheverie have also announced their departures. Some of these developers, including Weekes, had been with the company for nearly two decades.

Studio Restructuring and Future Direction

BioWare’s general manager Gary McKay previously announced plans to transform BioWare into a “more agile, focused studio,” with some employees being transferred to other EA studios. This restructuring follows Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s commercial performance, which fell short of expectations with 1.5 million players in 2024, approximately 50% below projected figures. The game received generally positive reviews, maintaining an 80 average score on OpenCritic.

These changes mark the end of major development for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with no planned DLC content. The studio has indicated that future updates will be limited to addressing critical issues, as resources shift toward the development of the next Mass Effect game. This restructuring follows a previous round of layoffs in 2023, where BioWare reduced its workforce by 50 employees.