BioWare’s general manager and Dragon Age’s executive producer both quit BioWare. Still, the new Mass Effect’s and Dragon Age’s development continues.

We’ll quote the key parts of their departing message. „[…] After nearly 20 years of work at BioWare, I’ve decided to retire from the studio and make way for the next generation of studio leaders. […] When I became Studio GM a little over three years ago, our goal as a leadership team was to position our people and projects for long-term success. Now, as BioWare celebrates its 25th anniversary, the studio is poised for an exciting new era of amazing games. […] I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different. I’m not sure exactly what that is yet, but I know that I want to start by rediscovering my creative passion through more personal work.

[…] I want to thank BioWare’s founders, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, for hiring me back in 1998 as a junior technical artist. They took a chance on me and fundamentally altered the course of my life in the most amazing way. Because of their wisdom and foundational values, BioWare has always been a company built on humility, integrity, and the idea of finding great people and fully empowering them. We’ve been fortunate to have found success, and I know those enduring values will continue to guide BioWare’s success in the future,” Casey Hudson’s message reads. Some things about Mass Effect not have been shown yet. Hmmm.

„I have been at BioWare since the 90s. Back when CRPGs were considered a dead genre. Through the last 23 years, I have watched video games evolve and grow into a truly powerful communication medium. […] I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive. BioWare has always been about telling emotional stories through characters. We have wandered away from this central guiding pillar at times, but I am confident that the next Dragon Age will show that we remain committed to this kind of game. We will have a lot to show you.

This year has been transformative to the way we do everything. The way we work, the way we socialize; these are things that have changed. Some of these changes are temporary but others will remain forever. I believe that this allows us to bring in new voices. To reimagine how we work. To strengthen how we tell stories.

Dragon Age will be in good hands. […] Mass Effect too has an exciting future. I won’t say too much […] I am incredibly grateful to Ray and Greg for taking a chance on a new graduate back in the earliest days of BioWare. […] I don’t know what’s next for me, but I’m excited to find out,” Mark Darrah wrote.

Gary McKay, BioWare’s senior director of development operations, will take over as BioWare’s interim general manager. Christian Dailey will take over as Dragon Age executive producer, while Matthew Goldman remains the creative director. Mike Gamble will continue to be the leader of the Mass Effect series.

With their departure, essentially nobody from the past remains at BioWare.

Source: Gematsu