Fans of EA’s Mass Effect series have been dealt some rough news today regarding the future of developer BioWare. In recent years, many members of BioWare’s development team, specifically those that have been with the studio for a prolonged period of time, have started to leave the company. Specifically, longtime producer Mark Darrah and former GM Casey Hudson left BioWareย at the end of 2020, which prompted some concern among fans. And while BioWare is still chugging right along with the development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and its next Mass Effect title, the studio has now lost another key developer.ย
In a message shared to LinkedInย recently, BioWare creative director and writer Mac Walters announced that he left the company at the end of 2022. Walters first started with BioWare back in 2003 and worked on titles like Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Anthem. He was perhaps most well-known though for his role as the lead writer on both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, both of which are considered some of the best games BioWare has ever released. Since early last year, Walters had shifted into the role of production director for the Dragon Age series and was clearly helping with the development of Dreadwolf.ย
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“As some of you already know, at the end of last year I decided to leave BioWare,” Walters said in his write-up. “These past 19 years have been a life-changing experience to say the least, and it made the choice to go very difficult. I’ve worked with so many wonderful people and had the privilege to be a part of the most amazing teams and projects. It’s hard to fathom it all, and I know I’ll be reflecting on it for years to come. Thank you to everyone I’ve had the joy of working with, and I wish everyone at BioWare the very best in everything you do. It’s truly been a pleasure.”
Obviously, it’s worth stressing that Walters leaving BioWare doesn’t spell doom for the studio whatsoever. Still, it is a bit concerning to see so many prominent developers that have been with BioWare for such a long period of time leaving somewhat sequentially. For now, we’ll have to continue waiting to see what BioWare ends up showing off next, but it seems likely that 2023 will finally bring with it substantial news on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
How do you feel about seeing a Mass Effect veteran in Walters move on from BioWare? And what’s your view on the future of the studio? Let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.ย
