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BioWare executives Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah will be leaving the studio, according to blog posts from Hudson and Darrah, as well as publisher Electronic Arts. The companies were quick to assure fans that these outings will not disrupt announced plans for upcoming BioWare projects. These include Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Dragon Age 4, and the rebooted Anthem Next.
Hudson was General Manager of BioWare and Darrah was Executive Producer of Dragon Age. But EA won’t leave a void in those positions for long, according to a company blog post:
The search for a new CEO is underway and we are already talking to great people. We will find the right leader who has deep love and respect for the heritage of this study, who embodies the values of this team, and who helps carry on the incredible legacy of BioWare.
But the studio is also changing its leadership. Christian Dailey, who was part of the Anthem Next team, will take over Dragon Age. Supervision for Anthem Next will pass to Creative Director Matthew Goldman.
These moves push BioWare Austin into a leadership position for the developer’s major upcoming game releases. While BioWare Edmonton has traditionally operated as the flagship team, that reputation has changed after a couple of troubled launches. Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem were released to a great reception from fans and critics. And when EA made the decision to try to revive Anthem as Anthem Next, the job went to BioWare Austin. Dailey taking on Dragon Age 4 shows that EA is confident in the work BioWare Austin is doing.
As for Mass Effect, Mike Gabmle of BioWare Edmonton is still overseeing the remasters, as well as the “future of the franchise” as project manager.
Hudson and Darrah assure fans that BioWare is in good hands
In twin blog posts, Hudson and Darrah individually detailed their outings. They both said that now is a good time for a change. They also did their best to characterize BioWare as ready for great things to come.
“Dragon Age will be in good hands,” writes Darrah. “This is a team that includes people with decades of experience in BioWare. I’m sure that, together, this is the team that can make Dragon Age the best yet. “
As for her future, Darrah didn’t talk about her plans. He called his move a “retirement” but says he’s “excited to know” what’s next for him. Hudson said something similar.
“Getting to this point has been an opportunity to reflect on my own future, and 2020 has been a year that forced all of us to reinvent how we think about work and life,” writes Hudson. “For me, it has been realizing that I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different. I’m still not sure what exactly that is, but I know I want to start by rediscovering my creative passion through more personal work. “
Hudson also thanked “the doctors,” Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, who co-founded BioWare. The doctors left BioWare in 2012. At the time, Hudson and Darrah were among the few who stepped in to keep the company running. So this has happened before, but now it’s Hudson and Darrah who are dating.
BioWare will release Mass Effect: Legendary Edition in Spring 2021. Anthem Next will debut sometime after that. Dragon Age 4 probably won’t arrive for another couple of years.
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