EA has announced a significant restructuring at Dragon Age and Mass Effect developer BioWare, with a shift in focus to its upcoming Mass Effect game. In a blog post, BioWare's general manager Gary McKay stated that the studio is "taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare." He 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 are being reassigned to other projects within EA, where their skills can be best utilized.

IGN reports that an unspecified number of BioWare developers have already been placed into equivalent roles elsewhere in EA. A smaller group from the Dragon Age team faces termination but is being given the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company. This move comes after BioWare experienced layoffs in 2023 and several high-profile departures during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including the recent exit of director Corinne Busche.

When asked for details on the impact of these changes, EA did not provide specific numbers but shared a statement emphasizing that BioWare's priority had been Dragon Age, with some team members continuing to work on the next Mass Effect. Now that The Veilguard has been released, the studio's full attention is on Mass Effect. The spokesperson confirmed that 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 stages. BioWare's strategy is to focus on one game at a time, with some developers who were working on Mass Effect being temporarily moved to Dragon Age and now returning to their original project. The development of the new Mass Effect is being led by series veterans including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley.

This restructuring follows EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of player targets by nearly 50%, leading to a reduced fiscal year guidance. This shortfall, combined with weaker-than-expected performance from EA Sports FC 25, has impacted the company's financial projections. EA is set to discuss these developments further during its Q3 earnings call on February 4.