Mass Effect 2 Writer Leaves BioWare, Again

Hi, my name is Liana and I’m a hardcore BioWare fan now in tears. Mass Effect 2’s Lead Writer Drew Karpyshyn made fan dreams come true when he returned to BioWare for a second time to work on the latest shooter from the team, Anthem. A lot of folks, especially Mass Effect fans, were excited about his rejoining with the company. He originally left after ME2 to focus on writing a novel series, but came back following the backlash that Mass Effect Andromeda faced.

Unfortunately, BioWare hopefuls, it was not meant to last. Karpyshyn posted a heartfelt update on his website to clue fans in on his departure and his future goals for several of the time consuming projects he has in the works. Between new books and new games, including one with FogBank Entertainment, it really does look like an amicable departure simply based on conflicting schedules. Here’s what he had to say:

Yes, it’s true. As of Friday, March 2, I am no longer an employee of BioWare/EA. Some of you might be thinking, “Wait, this sounds familiar!”. Yes, this is my second retirement from BioWare. Last time, I left to focus on my Chaos Born trilogy. This time, I’m leaving to pursue a number of other projects, including more original novels, an original sci-fi graphic novel I’m co-creating, and freelance gaming work.

I know a lot of you are wondering why I’m doing this. For many people, working at BioWare would be their dream job and they can’t imagine anyone stepping away from it. But it was time for me to move on.

Everyone who works at BioWare pours their heart and soul into the games they are making. It’s creatively demanding and – at times – exhausting. In the past, I’ve managed to juggle outside projects with my work at BioWare, but it always took a toll. And there were always outside projects I had to pass on because they would represent a conflict of interest with BioWare or EA properties.

So I made the decision to step back (again) and focus on my freelance work. I’d love to say more about the novel(s) I’m working on, or my graphic novel project, but those details will have to wait a while. (Yes, I’m using this announcement to tease other future announcements. In marketing, they call that “synergy”.)

But I’m not leaving games entirely. As of Monday, I’m officially working with Fogbank Entertainment and FoxNext Games. I can’t say a lot about what we’re up to yet, but here’s the official Fogbank Entertainment announcement.

I’m very excited to be part of the Fogbank team. I’ve worked with both Daniel and Alex before in my BioWare days, and I really like what they’re building. Obviously this release is a bit cryptic, but as more details of what I’m working on get announced, I’ll be sharing them on my Twitter feed and here on the NEWS page of my website.

Moving forward, I expect to start making semi-regular posts here, and not just about the projects I’m working on. One of the great things about being a freelance writer is I can write about… well, anything. So maybe I’ll react to politics or sports (and piss a bunch of people off). Maybe I’ll give my opinion on certain movies or TV shows (and piss people off). Maybe I’ll talk about my golf game or my favorite places to eat in Austin (and bore people). Maybe I’ll write posts about my creative process, using mysterious references to unreleased projects (and piss people off). And maybe (definitely) I’ll be posting information about any conventions I’m attending or public appearances I’m making or interviews and podcasts I’m doing. (Another benefit of going freelance is more free time to interact with my fans.)

So there you have it. Please don’t e-mail me asking for more information about why I’m leaving – there is no dirty laundry I’m just waiting to air. And please don’t ask about any BioWare projects I’ve been working on – just because I’ve left BioWare doesn’t mean I’m going to start blabbing all their secrets.

I’m sure people will read more into this statement than there really is, but there’s not much I can do about that.I know some people are going to dwell on the past, but that’s not my style. I’m looking to a bright future, and I hope at least some of you will enjoy where this journey leads!

We wish him nothing but the best for what’s sure to be a very exciting 2018!