There is really no getting around the fact that BioWare is in dire straits at the moment, now at the end of a decade of three missed opportunities

Several key Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers have reportedly either been let go from BioWare or moved to other studios within EA, but senior writer Sheryl Chee has some words of hope.

Recent reports have indicated that Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached around 1.5 million players, failing to meet EA’s expectations by around 50%. Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a very divisive reception ever since its first official trailer was unveiled, and it seems that this made the game fail to achieve financial success.

A new game, particularly one ten years in the making after a GOTY-winning sequel, underperforming by a full 50% is dire. You’ll also notice from the wording there that it says “engaged” not “sold,” as this number includes those who might have played via EA Play. So sales are likely not much above a million.

The studio is said to have less than 100 active employees at the moment, which constitutes fewer than half of the BioWare staff levels reported in 2023. The drastic downsizing is a mix of layoffs and reshuffles, with company veterans such as Dragon Age lead writer Trick Weekes finding themselves out of a job.

Every writer credited as being a part of the main writing team on Dragon Age: The Veilguard no longer appears to be working at BioWare, with a number of departures at various points in the past having been added to by the studio's latest restructuring.

BioWare now has fewer than 100 employees after laying off “around two dozen” staffers and shifting others to different projects at EA, Bloomberg reports. McKay said that as a “core team” at the studio is developing the next Mass Effect game – which got a teaser trailer more than four years ago – and that the changes will help BioWare “become a more agile,

According to IGN, "a number" of BioWare developers have been placed by EA into other equivalent roles within the company. Howeer, a smaller number of Dragon Age staff members are also seeing their positions shelved, and are being offered time to apply to other roles within the company (if they so wish).