BioWare general manager Gary McKay has announced they are “reorganizing” their team and laying off about 50 people. McKay makes it clear that the teams continue working on core franchises, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
BioWare has gone through a series of staffing changes, with some long-time veterans departing the studio to start their own new projects or head up other franchises. BioWare and EA recently spun off development of Star Wars: The Old Republic to let BioWare move away from MMOs and focus all of its teams on the single-player franchises fans love them for most.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf was announced several years back, and is in advanced development after reported restarts and direction changes. BioWare’s Michael Gamble remains working in pre-production on the next Mass Effect title.
Those affected by the layoffs will get internal consideration at EA, but with a 50-person cut at an approximately 250-person studio, that is not a small change. However, McKay is positioning things in an optimistic way.
“In order to meet the needs of our upcoming projects, continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality, and ensure BioWare can continue to thrive in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, we must shift towards a more agile and more focused studio. It will allow our developers to iterate quickly, unlock more creativity, and form a clear vision of what we’re building before development ramps up,” he says.
Sometimes dev teams fluctuate in number, though this does fit as more of an overhaul. Hence the attempted reassurance and optimism.
“This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect”. McKay tries to reassure the community in the announcement, saying that with Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, “our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that we’ll have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential”.
Additional losses look to be on the horizon when it comes to EA’s contract with playtesting company Keywords (via VentureBeat). A group of Keywords testers voted to unionize last year. However, with the staff reduction at BioWare and new direction, it seems parties couldn’t agree on a new contract beyond the existing September 27th date.
