Corinne Busche, the director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is reportedly set to leave EA-owned BioWare in the coming weeks, as per Eurogamer. Busche served as the game director from February 2022 until the game's launch in October of the previous year. IGN has reached out to EA for further comments on this development.
Since its release, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has faced scrutiny regarding its commercial success. However, Eurogamer notes that Busche's departure does not signal broader changes within the studio. Busche joined BioWare in 2019, following her work at Maxis on various The Sims projects. Her leadership was crucial in steering Dragon Age: The Veilguard to completion, especially after the game underwent a significant transformation from a multiplayer concept to a full-fledged single-player RPG over nearly a decade of development.
Eurogamer also clarified that Busche's exit is unrelated to the game's commercial performance. EA has not yet disclosed whether Dragon Age: The Veilguard met its sales and revenue targets, but the company is set to release its Q3 2025 financial results on February 4.
BioWare has confirmed that it will not be developing any DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, instead shifting its focus to Mass Effect 5, which has been teased but not fully revealed yet.
In August 2023, BioWare laid off approximately 50 employees, including veteran narrative designer Mary Kirby, amidst broader restructuring at EA that divided the company into sports and non-sports divisions. That same month saw the release of Larian's highly successful Baldur's Gate 3. Rumors also circulated about BioWare's potential acquisition, and Star Wars: The Old Republic was transitioned to a third-party developer to allow BioWare to concentrate on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The journey of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been tumultuous, with the initial reveal trailer in 2024 receiving negative feedback, prompting BioWare to quickly release an early gameplay teaser. The game's name change from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard was also met with mixed reactions. Despite these challenges, subsequent impressions of the game were generally positive.
With Busche's departure and the studio's focus shifting to Mass Effect 5, Dragon Age fans are left pondering whether BioWare will have the opportunity to develop another sequel in the Dragon Age series.
