A new game in the Mass Effect franchise is currently under development at BioWare, but fans recently received a studio update. In a public statement, General Manager at BioWare ‘Gary McKay’, revealed that the studio is downsizing as they currently do not require support from the full studio in the current development stage.
The new Mass Effect game is currently led by people who worked on the original trilogy. These include Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others. The ones affected by this decision have been moved to other projects, although the exact number isn’t clear.
“Given this stage of development, we don’t require support from the full studio. We have incredible talent here at BioWare, and so we have worked diligently over the past few months to match many of our colleagues with other teams at EA that had open roles that were a strong fit,” McKay wrote.
One more chance for Bioware
With Dragon Age The Veilguard underperforming, many believe that Electronic Arts (EA) may cancel the Mass Effect game, but this did not happen. The studio got another chance to bring back another one of their iconic franchise back from the dead. However, multiple studio restructuring does sound concerning.
Last year also saw a similar change at Bioware with 50 job cuts, out of which, some were moved to other EA studios. It’s hard to tell if some people are getting the boot this time too, but considering the current situation of the gaming industry, it won’t be surprising.
Also Read: Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet EA’s revenue expectations
FAQ
Why is BioWare downsizing?
As per the official reasoning, the studio does not need as many people to work on the next Mass Effect game and these changes will allow the studio to be ‘more agile and focused’. However, the general speculation is the underperformance of Dragon Age The Veilguard.
What effect will these changes have on the studio?
The upcoming Mass Effect game needs to be a hit and for that, bringing veterans who made the original game is a good move and can help the studio a lot. Cutting manpower is concerning, especially for such a popular franchise, but it's hard to tell without any knowledge about the scope of the game itself.