Though it only confirmed that Bioware was undergoing a “restructuring,” with many developers moved to other teams and ventures, EA has reportedly laid off a sizeable part of the studio. New reports and developer posts indicate that “at least a few dozen” staff were cut from Bioware.
According to a Jan. 30 report from Insider Gaming, sources from Bioware said that dozens have lost their jobs at the studio, and that fears are growing that more layoffs are to come in the following weeks and months. “One current employee said they ‘expect it to happen,’” the report reads, while others allegedly spoke of an incoming “wave” of layoffs. This comes after EA announced it would be restructuring and downsizing Bioware to a level appropriate for developing Mass Effect 5 in its current stage. The company never confirmed that layoffs were part of that procedure, and it is unclear why it would leave that part out.
We also saw confirmations from senior developers who wrote on various social media, announcing that they no longer work at Bioware and are looking for work. These include The Veilguard‘s lead writer, Trick Weekes, who has been with Bioware for over 20 years, and narrative editor, Ryan Cormier. Several other senior devs, such as former Bioware producer Jennifer Cheverie Cott, another company veteran, and senior product manager Lina Anderson were also let go. Some were indeed moved to other projects, though it’s unclear how many of them had that opportunity.
The primary reason for this restructuring and layoffs is the massive underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which reportedly missed its projections by almost 50 percent. Following the disastrous launch of Anthem, and the disappointing Mass Effect: Andromeda, Bioware was betting a lot on The Veilguard‘s success, which simply did not materialize.
Now, it seems their last, best hope for returning BioWare to its once-vaunted status is Mass Effect 5, leading EA to change up the structure of the studio (eliminating some labor cost along the way). If that, too, misses the mark, the future isn’t promising for one of the most influential studios in video game history.
