**Update, September 8th: It’s come to our attention that Lukas Kristjanson was also among the layoffs. Kristjanson was another senior writer and prolific member of Bioware since the beginning, having penned such characters as Minsc from Baldur’s Gate, Joker from Mass Effect, and many other Bioware beloveds. This is another heartbreaking and baffling decision regarding these layoffs that calls into question not just the future of Dreadwolf, but of the company itself.
On August 23, Bioware published a blog post announcing that, in light of recent internal changes, the company is laying off 50 employees. Among those laid off are key members of the development team, making it hard to imagine how BioWare will continue “ensuring Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game.”
The statement expanded as such:
After much consideration and careful planning, we have built a long-term vision that will preserve the health of the studio and better enable us to do what we do best: create exceptional story-driven single-player experiences filled with vast worlds and rich characters. This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age™: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect™.
We’ve chosen to act now in part to provide our impacted colleagues with as many internal opportunities as possible. These changes coincide with a significant number of roles that are currently open across EA’s other studios. Impacted employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance as they apply for these positions.
While it’s unlikely that everyone will find a new role within the company, we are committed to supporting our staff as they navigate this change. Our sincere hope is that they can continue their exemplary work at studios who stand to benefit immensely from their talents.
Bioware’s statement goes on to ensure readers that the company is still 100% dedicated to the ongoing development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf (which we last heard was in its Alpha stage), and expressed gratitude for what the team has accomplished—as well as remorse for these layoffs. It’s a somewhat vague, meandering statement that one would like to believe is innocuous, but as many people have pointed out, laying off 50 people will likely mean a push towards crunching to save money.
Which is. You know. Scummy. Especially since one of employees laid off is former senior writer Mary Kirby, the writer responsible for some of Dragon Age‘s most beloved characters (including Varric Tethras) and stories:
Mary Kirby is one of the core parts of Dragon Age as we know it, so I really don’t understand what the logic was behind laying her off—not just in general, but also since the game is just barely squeaking towards its long-awaited release. Even if they already got the “bulk” of the writing for the game over and done with by now, it’s still a bad idea to axe a core writer when there’s still time to polish, add, and edit.
As well as Kirby, the layoffs included Jon Renish, the franchise’s Technical Director for the last three years. This is almost even more baffling, considering the game likely still needs a firm, experienced hand as it nears its final stages, and that’s what a Technical Director is for. What on earth merited Renish being laid off?
What on earth merited any of these layoffs, when the studio is so clearly in the throes of getting this game ready for launch? Many fans, including myself, were just starting to feel some hope for Dreadwolf this year, yet this news is reminding me a little too much of Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2, and not in a good way. I don’t love the idea of playing a finished product that was only allowed to see the light of day after massive cuts and crunches, and at this point, I have to wonder if we’ll see a finished product at all.
My sincerest condolences to everyone affected by the layoffs, as well as the people remaining, who hopefully aren’t being forced to take on more than they signed up for. I suppose, at this point, all we can do is wait and see what comes from all this.
(featured image: Bioware)
