BioWare has reportedly lost at least half its staff, with fewer than 100 people left and the studio a ghost of its former self

Reports that BioWare had fallen below 100 employees illustrate the scale of the contraction at the Edmonton-founded studio following Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The company reportedly employed more than 200 people during development of the game, while earlier periods of BioWare’s history involved substantially larger teams across multiple locations. The reduction matters particularly to Edmonton because BioWare has served as an anchor for Alberta’s game-development industry for decades. Its projects created a concentration of experienced AAA developers who have subsequently contributed to other Alberta companies and startups. While a smaller core team continues developing the next Mass Effect, permanent transfers to other Electronic Arts teams and additional layoffs reduce BioWare’s direct employment footprint. The changes also add experienced developers to an Alberta labour market already affected by layoffs and studio closures elsewhere in the province.