Publisher Electronic Arts, parent company of BioWare, has confirmed that two of the studio's most respected lead developers have resigned. Mass Effect director Casey Hudson and Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah both announced their departure from the studio after close to two decades.
Hudson directed and co-created the original Mass Effect trilogy, and was excited to announce to fans just last month that a brand-new instalment in the sci-fi RPG franchise is just around the corner. He explained in his own statement that he was calling it a day and leaving BioWare to "make way for the next generation of studio leaders".
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"Arriving at this point has been an opportunity for me to reflect on my own future, and 2020 has been a year that forced all of us to re-imagine how we think about work and life," he wrote. "For me, it's been the realisation that I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different."
Hudson had been with BioWare for nearly 20 years in total, working on other popular RPGs like Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic. He first left the studio back in 2014 to join Microsoft, before returning as a general manager in 2017.
In a separate statement, Darrah admitted that the decision to leave BioWare after 23 years with the studio was a "very difficult" one. He'd been executive producer on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins in 2009, and was overseeing development on the upcoming Dragon Age 4.
"Dragon Age will be in good hands," Darrah reassured fans, confirming that BioWare Auston studio director Christian Dailey would be taking over his role. "This is a team that includes people with decades of experience at BioWare. I am confident that, together, this is the team that can make Dragon Age 4 the best one yet."
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Meanwhile, EA chief studios officer Laura Miele announced that the company is looking for Hudson's successor, adding that she too feels BioWare's upcoming titles are in safe ands.
"When I think about BioWare's future and the next generation of talent in place, I could not be more confident or optimistic," she said in a statement. "The search for a new GM is underway and we are already talking to some great people. We will find the right leader who has a deep love and respect for this studio's heritage, who embodies the values of this team and who will help carry on the incredible legacy of BioWare."
BioWare's upcoming projects include brand-new Mass Effect and Dragon Age titles, neither of which have a release window just yet. We can at least look forward to a remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy. That's coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2021.
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