Veilguard disappoints, full focus shifts to next Mass Effect

BioWare says that it’s “turning towards the future and preparing for the next chapter” in its studio after reassigning some developers to other teams within EA.

In a new blog post, BioWare general manager Gary McKay said that the studio is “changing how we build games to meet the needs of our upcoming projects and hold ourselves to the highest quality standards.” Money-making standards were not met by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though, and EA has said as much.

“In keeping with our fierce commitment to innovating during the development and delivery of Mass Effect, we have challenged ourselves to think deeply about delivering the best experience to our fans,” McKay said. “We are taking this opportunity between full development cycles to reimagine how we work at BioWare.”

Part of that reimagining is that at Mass Effect’s current stage of development, McKay says the developer doesn’t need support from its full studio. As such, McKay claims BioWare has been moving employees to other EA studios and roles that were open. This wording makes it sound as though the team at BioWare has avoided layoffs for the time being—although saying the statement that the team has matched “many” of their now-former colleagues has already led to assertions of such on the internet. After Veilguard’s commercial failures in the eyes of EA, layoffs were expected by many.

McKay said that a core team at BioWare is now full steam ahead on the next Mass Effect, which has been teased a couple of times over the past few years. Series veterans like Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and more are working on the game at this point in time.

Veilguard followed in the unfortunate footsteps of past BioWare misfires Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, meaning that the next Mass Effect will likely have to be a big hit in order for the studio to avoid any more restructuring or layoffs under EA. The new Mass Effect has been in at least early development for some time now, only kicking into full gear now after the release of Veilguard. The game was first teased with a trailer way back at The Game Awards in 2020, and again with a short teaser for N7 Day in 2023.

Little is known about the new Mass Effect, other than it appears to star a returning Liara T’Soni, a figure clad in N7 gear, and may hint towards a hunt for Commander Shepard. It currently has no known release window, but it will hopefully be a success for those at the studio that makes it.

“Today’s news will see BioWare become a more agile, focused studio that produces unforgettable RPGs,” McKay said. “We appreciate your support as we build a new future for BioWare.”