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3d ago

BioWare’s 2017 Leadership Shifts Marked a Turning Point, Says Former Dragon Age Lead

Mark Darrah reveals how EA's decisions disrupted BioWare's RPG development, favoring Anthem over Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

Morrigan, the Witch of the Wilds in the Dragon Age serries, shown wielding magic in front of a Darkspawn.
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Overview

  • Mark Darrah, former Dragon Age executive producer, described 2017 as the year EA fully absorbed BioWare, eroding its independent culture.
  • EA's reallocation of Dragon Age leadership to Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem created leadership gaps and disrupted development priorities.
  • Anthem, EA's live-service push, drained resources from other BioWare projects but failed shortly after launch, with its reboot later abandoned.
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard faced a troubled development cycle and mixed reception, leading to BioWare's restructuring into a single-project studio focused on Mass Effect 5.
  • Darrah criticized EA's management decisions, citing broken assurances and a shift toward corporate oversight that undermined BioWare's creative autonomy.