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Current Events > BioWare "Refocusing", lays off 50 people

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PepsiWithCoke
08/23/23 2:47:41 PM
#1:


https://blog.bioware.com/2023/08/23/an-update-on-the-state-of-bioware/

This definitely seems like the first death knell for BioWare.

No way Dragon Age 4 is going to hold a candle to Baldur's Gate 3, or Mass Effect 4 to Starfield.


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Blue_Inigo
08/23/23 2:48:29 PM
#2:


Why would you compare ME4 to Starfield

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Tmaster148
08/23/23 2:49:07 PM
#3:


They didn't list what positions were laid off. For all we know Bioware is laying off 50 people on roles focused on multiplayer only features since the blog post itself states they are focusing on singleplayer.

Either way I don't have much hope for the new Mass Effect game to be on the same level as the original trilogy, but this might be nothing as a whole.

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Questionmarktarius
08/23/23 2:49:59 PM
#4:


PepsiWithCoke posted...
This definitely seems like the first death knell for BioWare.
Step three or four in EA absorbing and dissolving it.
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ProfessorKukui
08/23/23 2:51:25 PM
#5:


ea does it again

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jefffan
08/23/23 2:54:41 PM
#6:


Probably positions related to Star Wars which they now longer want to focus on

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PepsiWithCoke
08/23/23 2:54:57 PM
#7:


Blue_Inigo posted...
Why would you compare ME4 to Starfield
Big ass space games.

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garan
08/23/23 2:56:29 PM
#8:


Eh, there have been a few death knells for Bioware ever since EA bought them. The company is definitely a shell of itself at this point, and I am leery of future games due to ridiculous dev cycles & all the known corporate interference that has gone on there.
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I4NRulez
08/23/23 2:57:12 PM
#9:


PepsiWithCoke posted...
No way Dragon Age 4 is going to hold a candle to Baldur's Gate 3, or Mass Effect 4 to Starfield.

Between mass effect and dragon age they've released one bad game out of 7.

Lets not act like Bioware is some bad developer.

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DarthAragorn
08/23/23 2:58:43 PM
#10:


I4NRulez posted...
Between mass effect and dragon age they've released one bad game out of 7.

Lets not act like Bioware is some bad developer.
Their last 3 games have been Anthem, Mass Effect Andromeda and Dragon Age Inquisition, with the best one of those being mediocre and also nearly 9 years ago

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I4NRulez
08/23/23 3:00:07 PM
#11:


DarthAragorn posted...
Their last 3 games have been Anthem, Mass Effect Andromeda and Dragon Age Inquisition, with the best one of those being mediocre and also nearly 9 years ago

I mean, i cant defend anthem

but Andromeda was the only bad game from The Dragon Age or Mass Effect series.

Inquisition was a GOTY from multiple companies. Just because you didnt like it doesnt mean it was a bad game. I really enjoyed it.

And Andromeda was only as bad as it was because they had to pull people from it to make Anthem

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PepsiWithCoke
08/23/23 3:02:04 PM
#12:


I4NRulez posted...
Between mass effect and dragon age they've released one bad game out of 7.

Lets not act like Bioware is some bad developer.

They have literally not released a good game since Mass Effect 3 in 2012, since then they've released Inquisition, Andromeda, and Anthem.

Everyone worth a damn from those original teams that made KOTOR, the Mass Effect trilogy, and Dragon Age 1 and 2 is long gone by now.

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TheGoldenEel
08/23/23 3:03:12 PM
#13:


Didnt everyone hate DA II as well or have people rewrote history on that one

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PepsiWithCoke
08/23/23 3:04:11 PM
#14:


TheGoldenEel posted...
Didnt everyone hate DA II as well or have people rewrote history on that one
It was mediocre and a sign of things that were coming soon.

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Axiom
08/23/23 3:04:35 PM
#15:


TheGoldenEel posted...
Didnt everyone hate DA II as well or have people rewrote history on that one
Nah you remember right. Dragon Age 2 is easily the most hated of the three
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Biofighter55
08/23/23 3:07:04 PM
#16:


DA2 was made in like 8-11 months I think? So to be expected

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I4NRulez
08/23/23 3:07:15 PM
#17:


TheGoldenEel posted...
Didnt everyone hate DA II as well or have people rewrote history on that one

People "hated" DA 2 and ME3. Its revisionist history to say they were considered "good".

People change their opinions to shit on the later releases and when DA4 comes out then all of a sudden Inquisition will be good too.

I'm not gonna claim they are masterpieces but they were all successful and well received games outside of Anthem. Even andromeda got praised when Bioware fixed it but by that time they gave up support.

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Kimbos_Egg
08/23/23 3:08:06 PM
#18:


AKA baldurs gate is doing too well, we need to get rid of a lot of microtransactions in our shitty over produced game and we might as well save money firing this union.

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Seaman_Prime
08/23/23 3:08:09 PM
#19:


Im still holding out for a Dragon Age Origins remake or remaster one day.

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Hospy
08/23/23 3:17:45 PM
#20:


Inquisition is quite possibly the worst game I have ever played to completion and it killed any of my interest in Dreadwolf.
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Bass
08/23/23 3:21:39 PM
#21:


I4NRulez posted...
People "hated" DA 2 and ME3. Its revisionist history to say they were considered "good".
It wasn't an uncommon view that most of Mass Effect 3 was good, but the ending absolutely ruined it. It certainly has always been a controversial game with plenty of hatred thrown it's way, though.

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Kaldrenthebold
08/23/23 3:23:10 PM
#22:


I4NRulez posted...
I mean, i cant defend anthem

but Andromeda was the only bad game from The Dragon Age or Mass Effect series.

Inquisition was a GOTY from multiple companies. Just because you didnt like it doesnt mean it was a bad game. I really enjoyed it.

And Andromeda was only as bad as it was because they had to pull people from it to make Anthem

Dragon Age 2 is shit. In fact the only good dragon age is 1

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Kimbos_Egg
08/23/23 3:23:31 PM
#23:


Kaldrenthebold posted...
Dragon Age 2 is shit. In fact the only good dragon age is 1


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ultimate_reaver
08/23/23 3:23:51 PM
#24:


I4NRulez posted...
Between mass effect and dragon age they've released one bad game out of 7.

dragon age 2 is trash, andromeda is trash

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Raiden2909
08/23/23 5:49:56 PM
#25:


Since this is EA if i had to guess more then likely most of those jobs were Q.A and testing jobs.. since why bother to make sure the game is not buggy as hell on release when it can be patched later

and Ya.. DA2.. Rushed as hell and felt like it was released in EARLY beta... DA:I was alright.. just had a few odd gameplay decisions

Mass effect 3.. good over all game, just the ending ruins it and the promise that our choices would all pay off never fully realized since ya.. it felt like once again, they were rushed and had to cut corners to meet a deadline

And Andromeda.. RUSHED To hell, seriously, i think the only game that had no issues from Bioware after the EA buyout was Mass effect 2
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Xatrion
08/23/23 5:51:08 PM
#26:


EA = Parasite

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xlr_big-coop
08/23/23 5:55:18 PM
#27:


Meh, they should close up shop already for all I care. Their quality definitely went under ever since they got bought.

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leafsRULE
08/23/23 5:57:19 PM
#28:


won't someone PLEASE think of the executives and their bonuses?!? they get so much hate! they need to make payments on their vacation homes!

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SimulationSwarm
08/23/23 6:08:49 PM
#29:


I personally really liked inquisition but yeah DA2 was bad. Very bad.

PepsiWithCoke posted...
They have literally not released a good game since Mass Effect 3 in 2012, since then they've released Inquisition, Andromeda, and Anthem.

Everyone worth a damn from those original teams that made Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, the Mass Effect trilogy, and Dragon Age 1 and 2 is long gone by now.
And also yeah this second stanza here is so true unfortunately. I need to research to find where most of these devs went so I can check out their games

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Punished_Blinx
08/23/23 8:52:11 PM
#30:


I'd be lying if I wasn't concerned about Bioware.

Like even this upcoming Dragon Age Dreadwolf started life as some GAAS thing. Which they have since pivoted into being single player. So yet again it sounds like another game with a turbulent development. Which is why we barely hear any updates about it.

In fact the blog itself seems to imply these layoffs are people who worked on it.
If youre wondering how all of this will impact development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, let me be clear that our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that well have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential.

I can also tell you that every member of our team, even those departing BioWare, deserves credit for crafting a spectacular experience. These are our colleagues and friends, and we would not be here without them. I am so proud of all the work our team has done.

Like we can debate Dragon Age Inquisition all we like. But next year will be a decade since that game. That's a long time with no results. Throughout this time even Bethesda will have released Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and Starfield. Dragon Age Inquisition released one year after GTAV. CDPR released Witcher 3 and CP2077. The entire rise of Larian has happened during this period.

That's a lot to be completely MIA for.

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archizzy
08/23/23 8:55:18 PM
#31:


Despite the doom and gloom on the Internet I still look very forward to Dragon Age 4. I remember before Inquisition people were claiming the death of Bioware and how all the talent had left years ago and despite all the whining about it I absolutely loved Dragon Age Inquisition. I thought it was excellent. So I still have high hopes for Dragon Age 4.

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SF_Okami
08/23/23 8:57:50 PM
#32:


Until I read this thread, I completely forgot they said they were working on Mass Effect 4

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Punished_Blinx
08/23/23 9:02:21 PM
#33:


SF_Okami posted...
Until I read this thread, I completely forgot they said they were working on Mass Effect 4

They're working on it in the same sense that Bethesda have been working on Elder Scrolls VI for the past few years.

It's obviously what they intend to work on after the next Dragon Age. But it's going to be a long, long way away and if DA is another disaster it may not even happen as I don't think Bioware can survive another one.

I'm pulling for them to succeed though. I really miss proper Bioware games. They were something special and a huge part of my love for RPG's growing up.

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invertedlegdrop
08/23/23 9:04:56 PM
#34:


Yeah that last decade hasnt been too good to Bioware with the exception of Inquisition...

ME3 was good but that ending fiasco did permanent damage to the franchise...

ME:A suffered from that ME3 damage not to mention was a busted game at launch...

Anthem was well...a big disaster everybody but EA saw coming...

Really the only projects lately that Bioware had turn out was the Kotor port (and they didn't work on that) and the ME trilogy remaster...

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Jagr_68
08/23/23 9:05:34 PM
#35:


ProfessorKukui posted...
ea does it again

Surprised they weren't gutted after Anthem but they also weren't working on any video games in general either.

The folks over at DICE right now are continuously updating their resumes as we type.

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PraetorXyn
08/23/23 9:08:44 PM
#36:


I4NRulez posted...
I mean, i cant defend anthem

but Andromeda was the only bad game from The Dragon Age or Mass Effect series.

Inquisition was a GOTY from multiple companies. Just because you didnt like it doesnt mean it was a bad game. I really enjoyed it.

And Andromeda was only as bad as it was because they had to pull people from it to make Anthem
No it wasnt. Dragon Age 2 was garbage.

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invertedlegdrop
08/23/23 9:11:08 PM
#37:


Jagr_68 posted...


The folks over at DICE right now are continuously updating their resumes as we type.

Now this is a good point how many times has Dice screwed up yet they are still allowed to be left standing...

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Punished_Blinx
08/23/23 9:13:32 PM
#38:


Wanna know what's sad? The space between Anthem and now has already taken up more time than the release dates between Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 3.

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Funkydog
08/23/23 9:15:06 PM
#39:


One of the people gone is a massive lore maker/writer for dragon age. She was an instrumental part of the game. From much of the religion to beloved Varick.

Ain't a good sign.

https://twitter.com/BioMaryKirby/status/1694425409499340890

Several senior staff as well apparently.

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ChocoboMog123
08/23/23 9:18:26 PM
#40:


Am I crazy for thinking BioWare has always been trash? They have the early DnD games, KotoR, and that's it. They made Sonic Chronicles, one of the worst games I've played in my life, and kinda just throw shit at the wall for the Mass Effect series. If someone told me they like Mass Effect, I'd assume they're into Madden, CoD, or NBA.

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DisgracefulSins
08/23/23 9:19:37 PM
#41:


Blue_Inigo posted...
Why would you compare ME4 to Starfield
Why wouldn't you?

Mass Effect is a huge IP. For a while it was the only big space RPG series, and it remains popular. Comparison to a new upcoming one will be inevitble.

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Mew
08/23/23 9:20:58 PM
#42:


How do people have faith in ME4 after that pile of shit Andromeda. The people who worked on 1-3 already left

Guess whos making ME4... the same people that made Andromeda...

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Crazyman93
08/23/23 9:21:01 PM
#43:


jefffan posted...
Probably positions related to Star Wars which they now longer want to focus on
No. They don't have The Old Republic MMO under their banner at all. EA moved the maintenance and development to Broadsword. A chunk of that team left BioWare to go work on the game at Broadsword.

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Alucard188
08/23/23 9:22:19 PM
#44:


I4NRulez posted...
Between mass effect and dragon age they've released one bad game out of 7.

Lets not act like Bioware is some bad developer.

Mass Effect Andromeda
Anthem
Dragon Age 2

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Gritty
08/23/23 9:22:53 PM
#45:


Funkydog posted...
One of the people gone is a massive lore maker/writer for dragon age. She was an instrumental part of the game. From much of the religion to beloved Varick.

Ain't a good sign.

https://twitter.com/BioMaryKirby/status/1694425409499340890

Several senior staff as well apparently.


oof that sucks for future quality

someone as talented as her will get work p quick
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PraetorXyn
08/23/23 9:29:31 PM
#46:


ChocoboMog123 posted...
Am I crazy for thinking BioWare has always been trash? They have the early DnD games, KotoR, and that's it. They made Sonic Chronicles, one of the worst games I've played in my life, and kinda just throw shit at the wall for the Mass Effect series. If someone told me they like Mass Effect, I'd assume they're into Madden, CoD, or NBA.
Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 were enough to make their reputation. KOTOR 1 and 2 and DA:O were good, it not as good as those. I agree everything since has been overrated.

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Funkydog
08/23/23 9:32:15 PM
#47:


Alucard188 posted...
Mass Effect Andromeda
Anthem
Dragon Age 2
Having played Andromeda recently on gamepass it is nowhere near the abomination against humanity many claim. Not saying it was great, it was just... fine?

And I will defend DA2 to my dying breath. Love the party NPCs and enjoyed the story, save for some dumb moments at the end.

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Punished_Blinx
08/23/23 9:32:28 PM
#48:


Mew posted...
How do people have faith in ME4 after that pile of shit Andromeda. The people who worked on 1-3 already left

Guess whos making ME4... the same people that made Andromeda...

No they aren't. The Andromeda team were essentially closed and moved over to EA Motive.

https://www.eurogamer.net/mass-effect-andromeda-studio-bioware-montreal-to-merge-into-ea-motive

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SimulationSwarm
08/23/23 9:34:32 PM
#49:


Funkydog posted...
Having played Andromeda recently on gamepass it is nowhere near the abomination against humanity many claim. Not saying it was great, it was just... fine?

And I will defend DA2 to my dying breath. Love the party NPCs and enjoyed the story, save for some dumb moments at the end.
I think the story in DA2 is good. I just think the gameplay stinks and so does the setting. Fuck Anders though

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I4NRulez
08/23/23 9:54:53 PM
#50:


Alucard188 posted...
Mass Effect Andromeda
Anthem
Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age 2 wasnt bad. It might not be as good as the other 2 but it was still a good game

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