BioWare Confirms Mass Effect 5 Development Continues Amid Staff Reallocation by EA

EA has announced a significant restructuring at BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect, shifting focus entirely to the upcoming Mass Effect game. In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay explained that the studio is taking the opportunity between development cycles to "reimagine how we work at BioWare."

McKay noted that, at this stage of development, the full studio's support is not required for the Mass Effect project. As a result, many BioWare developers have been reassigned to other roles within EA over the past few months. An undisclosed number of these developers have already been placed in equivalent positions within the company. Meanwhile, a smaller group of Dragon Age team members are facing termination, though they are being given the opportunity to apply for other roles within EA.

BioWare has undergone several changes in recent years, including layoffs in 2023 and multiple high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Notably, director Corinne Busche announced her departure last week. The exact number of current BioWare employees remains unclear, and EA did not provide specific figures when asked about the impact of these changes, the number of potential layoffs, or the number of staff remaining at the studio. An EA spokesperson, however, 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."

The new Mass Effect game, announced four years ago, remains in its early development stages. BioWare's strategy moving forward is to focus on one game at a time. Some developers who were working on Mass Effect were temporarily moved to Dragon Age to help complete The Veilguard and are now returning to the Mass Effect project. The development of Mass Effect is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.

This announcement follows last week's news that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of its player targets by nearly 50%. This, along with disappointing results from EA Sports FC 25, led EA to adjust its fiscal year guidance. The company is set to discuss its Q3 earnings on February 4.