EA’s BioWare is laying off about 50 people from the studio.
In a post on its website, the developer’s general manager, Gary McKay, wrote that the decision was made to make the studio “more nimble and focused” so it can grow.
“To achieve this, we are in a position where change is not only necessary, but inevitable. As hard as it is to say, rethinking our approach to development inevitably means reorganizing our team to meet the changing needs of the studio,” McKay wrote.
“As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare. It is very painful and humiliating to write about. We do our best to ensure that this process is carried out with empathy, respect and clear communication. With that last point in mind, I want to take some time to explain how we got here, what we’re doing to support our colleagues, and what this means for current and future BioWare games.”
Speaking to VentureBeat, an EA representative said the company was unable to reach an agreement with the service giant Keywords. In 2022, quality assurance workers in Edmonton voted to form a union.