BioWare Faces Staff Reductions: Major Changes Expected
BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, is facing layoffs as the company restructures its teams and moves some developers to other projects The exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed
BioWare is laying off an undisclosed number of employees as they transfer the ongoing development of Star Wars: The Old Republic to the team at Broadsword. The community had mixed feelings when they learned about the change in developers for The Old Republic. While it didn't reach the same level of popularity as World of Warcraft, Star Wars fans had called the vast galaxy in The Old Republic their home for many years. The game allowed them to live out their Star Wars fantasies, whether as a Dark Lord of the Sith, a skilled Smuggler, or a ruthless Bounty Hunter. Now, it feels like those fantasies are being put on life support.
With the agreement between Electronic Arts and Broadsword Online, BioWare can fully focus on Dragon Age and Mass Effect, while still providing The Old Republic players with regular content updates. Mark Denton, the former co-founder of Mythic Entertainment and a previous member of the Star Wars: The Old Republic team, leads Broadsword. Though it is estimated that about half of the old BioWare team will join the new development team, there were rumors that not all developers would make the transition.
In a recent blog post, General Manager Gary McKay and Executive Producer Keith Kanneg have confirmed that BioWare will be laying off developers from The Old Republic team. However, this shouldn't affect the ongoing support for The Old Republic. The remaining developers will either be reassigned to work on Mass Effect and Dragon Age or transferred to Broadsword Online Studios. With the upcoming release of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in Summer 2024, the addition of new team members should ensure that the game reaches all remaining development milestones.
Keith Kanneg, a member of the leadership team, will be transferring to Broadsword for the long-term future of Star Wars: The Old Republic. This transition is expected to bring stability and consistency to Game Update 7.4 and beyond. Despite the concern that content packs have been shrinking and this trend may continue under Broadsword Online Games, it is still a better outcome than discontinuing development altogether. The developers who remain at the company will also contribute to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect title, while those transferring to Broadsword will receive support to ensure a smooth transition. Unfortunately, some BioWare developers will be let go, but it is hoped that they will find new employment easily.
Source: BioWare (via IGN)
