BioWare, the renowned game developer behind the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, has reportedly seen its workforce shrink 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, BioWare boasted over 200 employees, according to Bloomberg.

Last week, EA restructured BioWare to concentrate solely on the development of Mass Effect 5. This shift led to the reassignment of some Dragon Age: The Veilguard team members to other EA studios. Notably, John Epler, the creative director of Veilguard, has been moved to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game, Skate, while senior writer Sheryl Chee has transitioned to work on Iron Man at Motive Studio. These reassignments, initially considered temporary, have now become permanent, as reported by Bloomberg, effectively reducing BioWare's headcount.

The restructuring decision came after EA announced that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had not met the company's sales expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% below projections. In the wake of this announcement, several BioWare developers, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm, took to social media to confirm their layoffs and seek new employment opportunities.

This is not the first time BioWare has faced such challenges; the studio underwent a round of layoffs in 2023, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche announced her departure last month. When asked about the specifics of the layoffs and the current number of employees at BioWare, EA provided a vague response, stating that the studio now has "the right number of people in the right roles" to focus on Mass Effect.

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 posed by EA's initial push for a live-service model and subsequent reversal. IGN has previously documented some of the development hurdles faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including earlier 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." Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy such as Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is now focused on developing the next Mass Effect game.