BioWare Loses Two Key Team Members

As of today, BioWare General Manager, Casey Hudson, and Dragon Age Executive Producer, Mark Darrah, are retiring from the company. The two of them released statements on the company’s blog, offering their best wishes to the company’s future and assuring fans that the company’s upcoming games are in good hands.

In Hudson’s message, he says that he made this decision so that he could “make way for the next generation of studio leaders,” after he himself was at the company for almost 20 years. This isn’t the first time Hudson has left the company. The first was in 2014 which led to him joining Microsoft Studios in a creative director role. He later returned to BioWare in 2017, replacing Aaron Flynn as General Manager. Darrah didn’t give a reason for his departure in his message, but he does give thanks for his time at the company over the past 23 years. “More than anything I am thankful for the ability to have touched so many lives. To have given people a chance to explore themselves through our games. I like to think I have helped make some of your lives a little better. I hope I’m right.”

Both Hudson and Darrah tried to ease worries about the upcoming games that BioWare is working on. “One of the things that makes these decisions easier is knowing that BioWare will move forward with a strong and complete set of studio leaders,” Hudson said. He notes that Gary McKay, BioWare’s Senior Director of Development Operations, will be BioWare’s interim Studio General Manager, while Christian Dailey will be moving from his role as Studio Director at BioWare Austin, and step into the position of Executive Producer for Dragon Age. Darrah confirmed that Matthew Goldman will remain the Creative Director of the new Dragon Age game, so fans don’t have to worry about the game being shaken up too much. He also says that the Mass Effect franchise is in good hands under Mike Gamble, stating he’s been “impressed” by Gamble’s growth and is “looking forward to all that franchise will do under his leadership.”

Fans have been worried about BioWare for a few years now, following the disappointing critical and fan reception to Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. While this news is sure to make those worries even greater, hopefully the uplifting words from Hudson and Darrah are enough to keep fans optimistic as they await BioWare’s next big release.