Key Dragon Age developers have announced their departure from BioWare following a studio restructuring focused on the next Mass Effect game. On January 29th, IGN reported BioWare had reassigned numerous developers to other EA projects, concentrating solely on Mass Effect 5. General manager Gary McKay explained this shift as an opportunity to "reimagine how we work" between development cycles, stating the full studio wasn't needed at this stage and that many employees were successfully placed in suitable roles within EA. While some BioWare developers transitioned to equivalent positions within EA, a smaller number of Dragon Age team members faced termination, with the option to apply for other internal roles.

Several BioWare developers subsequently announced their departure on social media, including editor Karin West-Weekes, narrative designer and lead writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard Trick Weekes, editor Ryan Cormier, producer Jen Cheverie, and senior systems designer Michelle Flamm. This follows 2023 layoffs and the recent departure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche.

EA's response to inquiries regarding the number of affected individuals remained vague, stating the studio now has the appropriate personnel for the current Mass Effect development phase. They confirmed the studio's priority had shifted from Dragon Age to Mass Effect following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which concluded last week with what appeared to be its final major update.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the first new game in the series in a decade, underperformed significantly, failing to meet sales expectations by 50%, reaching only 1.5 million players instead of the projected three million. This followed previously reported development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of several key personnel. The game also lacked post-launch DLC, a surprising omission for fans.

Meanwhile, EA confirmed a core team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy (including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley), is developing the next Mass Effect installment.