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 restructuring to prioritize the next Mass Effect title.

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. For example, Game Developer reported that The Veilguard's creative director, John Epler, moved to Full Circle's Skate project, and senior writer Sheryl Chee transitioned to Motive's Iron Man development.

This restructuring followed EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance. EA stated that the game engaged 1.5 million players, significantly below projections. Bloomberg clarifies that staff "loans" to other EA studios are now permanent transfers, removing those individuals from BioWare's employee count. Additional staff members confirmed layoffs and job searches on social media, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. These departures follow 2023 layoffs and the departure of director Corinne Busche last month.

EA's response to inquiries regarding the impact of these changes remained vague, stating the studio is appropriately staffed for the current Mass Effect development phase, without providing specific numbers. Bloomberg estimates approximately two dozen layoffs. According to Jason Schreier's Bloomberg report, BioWare staff consider the completion of Dragon Age: The Veilguard a remarkable achievement given the challenges imposed by EA's initial live-service mandate and subsequent reversal. IGN has previously documented The Veilguard's development difficulties, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel.

Amidst fan concerns about the future of the Dragon Age series, a former BioWare writer offered a message of hope. EA confirmed that a core team at BioWare, led by veterans of the original Mass Effect trilogy (including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley), is developing the next Mass Effect game.