Aug 24, 2023

EA's Bioware Laid Off 50 Employees

BioWare, a video game developer under Electronic Arts with operations in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Austin, Texas, is laying off 50 employees. No details were given as to which positions will be eliminated.

The layoffs appear to be part of a larger restructuring taking place at EA, which employs about 12,900 people as of March 2022. In March of this year, EA CEO Andrew Wilson announced that the company would cut approximately 6% of its worldwide workforce, or about 800 employees.

In a letter sent to employees and published on the company's website, Gary McKay, the company's vice president and general manager, stated:

"[The news of the layoffs] is deeply distressing and sobering. We are doing everything we can to ensure that this process is handled with empathy, respect, and clear communication.

The timing of the layoffs is perhaps surprising, given that the studio is currently nearing completion of the highly anticipated role-playing game Dragon Age: Dreadwolf perhaps surprising. In his letter, McKay explains the timing:

We have chosen to act now to provide as many internal opportunities as possible to our affected colleagues. These changes overlap with many of the positions that are currently open at EA's other studios. Affected employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance in applying for these positions.

Despite the layoffs, McKay said, "Our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment is unwavering and we are all working to make the game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that Dreadwolf will get the time it needs to reach its full potential.

He added that the layoffs will allow Bioware to become "an agile and more focused studio" and that the smaller team will help "developers iterate faster, unleash more creativity, and form a clear vision of what they are building before accelerating development." He added.

As for future work, BioWare said it will continue pre-production on the next "Mass Effect" film.