BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard Team Shrinks Below 100 After Layoffs

BioWare, a renowned game developer, has seen its workforce significantly reduced to fewer than 100 employees following a series of layoffs and staff departures after the release of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*. Just two years ago, during the peak of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*'s development, the studio boasted over 200 employees, according to Bloomberg.

Last week, EA announced a restructuring of BioWare, shifting its focus exclusively to *Mass Effect 5*. This strategic pivot led to the reassignment of some *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* team members to other EA projects. Notably, John Epler, the creative director of *Veilguard*, has been reassigned to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game, *Skate*. Similarly, senior writer Sheryl Chee has moved to Motive to work on *Iron Man*.

The decision to restructure came after EA disclosed that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* had not met the company's expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% below projections. Bloomberg reports that these staff reassignments are now permanent, and those working at other EA studios are no longer considered BioWare employees on temporary assignment.

In addition to reassignments, several BioWare employees were laid off. Developers such as editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer on *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm have all confirmed their departures via social media, indicating they are now seeking new opportunities. This follows a previous round of layoffs at BioWare in 2023 and the recent exit of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* director Corinne Busche.

When IGN sought detailed information from EA about the number of affected individuals, potential layoffs, and the current headcount at BioWare, the response was non-committal. EA stated, "The studio's priority was Dragon Age. During this time there were people continuing to build the vision for the next Mass Effect. Now that The Veilguard has shipped, the studio's full focus is Mass Effect. While we're not sharing numbers, the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development."

Bloomberg reported that approximately two dozen BioWare employees were affected by the latest layoffs. Jason Schreier, the author of the Bloomberg report, noted that BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* was released as a complete game, given the challenges of integrating and then reversing a live-service model. IGN has previously documented some of the development hurdles faced by *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads.

Amidst concerns about the future of the *Dragon Age* series, a former BioWare writer reassured fans, stating, "Dragon Age isn't dead because it's yours now."

Looking ahead, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare is now focused on developing the next *Mass Effect* game. This team is led by veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others, signaling a strong commitment to the franchise's future.