As the needs for game development shift, studios are shifting with them. The latest to make internal changes is BioWare, who just announced layoffs of “approximately” 50 employees.
As detailed on the official BioWare Blog and written by Studio General Manager, Gary McKay, “In order to meet the needs of our upcoming projects, continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality, and ensure BioWare can continue to thrive in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, we must shift towards a more agile and more focused studio.”
The post continues:
After much consideration and careful planning, we have built a long-term vision that will preserve the health of the studio and better enable us to do what we do best: create exceptional story-driven single-player experiences filled with vast worlds and rich characters. This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age™: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect™.
We’ve chosen to act now in part to provide our impacted colleagues with as many internal opportunities as possible. These changes coincide with a significant number of roles that are currently open across EA’s other studios. Impacted employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance as they apply for these positions.
While it’s unlikely that everyone will find a new role within the company, we are committed to supporting our staff as they navigate this change. Our sincere hope is that they can continue their exemplary work at studios who stand to benefit immensely from their talents.
According to the post, Dragon Age Dreadwolf will be unaffected. Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not BioWare or their future games suffer any negative impact. For now, as we always do, we simply wish those affected all the best and hope they are able to find new jobs in the industry quickly.
