BioWare general manager Gary McKay published a blog post to the studio’s official website, where McKay said that “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.”
A move which includes the “unavoidable” elimination of “approximately 50 roles” at the studio. McKay also says this move will “allow our developers to iterate quickly, unlock more creativity, and form a clear vision of what we’re building before development ramps up.”
Under a sub-heading titled “Immediate Impact,” McKay speaks to those reading who are wondering what this means for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and doesn’t really explain the impact it’ll have, rather says that the team’s commitment to the game “remains steadfast” and that it has “never wavered.”
McKay ends the post by thanking those who’ve been with BioWare, past and present, while also confirming that the next Mass Effect game remains in a pre-production state.
He also states multiple times in the post how difficult this kind of change is to make, and marks it as “an extremely difficult day for everyone at BioWare.”
Though likely a markedly worse day for those who did actually lose their jobs. Layoffs are never good to see, and they’re almost always the result of poor management, who’re then left to write these blogs.
Hopefully the next news we hear from BioWare is better, and those who find themselves out of work will be able to find new positions elsewhere soon.
Source – [BioWare]