Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dev BioWare Reportedly Down to Fewer Than 100 Employees Following Layoffs and Staff Exits

BioWare's workforce has reportedly shrunk to under 100 employees following recent layoffs and departures. This reduction comes after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and a company restructuring prioritizing the next Mass Effect game.

Bloomberg reported BioWare employed over 200 individuals two years ago during The Veilguard's development. Last week's EA restructuring, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, resulted in some The Veilguard staff being transferred to other EA studios. According to Game Developer, Veilguard's creative director, John Epler, moved to Full Circle's Skate project, while senior writer Sheryl Chee transitioned to Motive's Iron Man development.

This restructuring follows EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance, falling nearly 50% short of projected player engagement (1.5 million players reported). Bloomberg clarifies that initial staff "loans" to other EA studios are now permanent transfers, severing their BioWare affiliation. Additional layoffs have been confirmed through social media posts by several former BioWare employees, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. These losses follow earlier 2023 layoffs and the departure of director Corinne Busche last month.

EA's response to inquiries regarding the exact number of impacted employees remained vague, stating the studio is appropriately staffed for the current Mass Effect development phase. Bloomberg estimates approximately two dozen layoffs. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff view The Veilguard's completion as a remarkable achievement given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed. IGN has previously documented The Veilguard's development challenges, including earlier layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

Concerns about the future of the Dragon Age franchise are rising among fans, prompting a former BioWare writer's reassuring comment: "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

EA confirms a core team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy (including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley), is developing the next Mass Effect title.