The CEO of the BioWare studio and the head of Dragon Age both leave the company

Casey Hudson, CEO of BioWare, and Mark Darrah, executive producer of Dragon age franchise, both are leaving the company before the end of the year, BioWare announced today.

Laura Miele, an EA executive, announced the departures in a corporate blog post. “I would like to personally thank Casey and Mark for all they have done for the BioWare community, and especially for our players,” Miele wrote. “They will always be a vital part of the studio’s history, we appreciate their many contributions and look forward to seeing what they each do next.”

Leaving is “not an easy decision to make,” said Hudson. Hudson was a project director on the Mass Effect trilogy before leaving BioWare in 2014. He returned in 2017 to take on the role of CEO.

“When I became Managing Director of Studio just over three years ago, our goal as a leadership team was to position our people and projects for long-term success,” said Hudson. “Now that BioWare celebrates its 25th anniversary, the studio is set for an exciting new era of amazing games. It’s an exciting time, both in terms of the projects you’ve heard about and the things not yet announced.”

Darrah also expressed his confidence in the studio where he has worked for over 20 years. “It was a very difficult decision for me,” he said. “The team of amazing developers on Dragon age, make my life more complete and better. They taught me so much. But it is also the strength of the team that makes this possible. I know Dragon Age won’t survive without me, it will thrive. “

BioWare has worked hard this year to assure its avid fans that new installments in its two banner franchises, Mass Effect and Dragon age, are on their way … finally. In August, the studio released a sizzle reel featuring concept art for the possible, as yet untitled Dragon Age 4 at GamesCom. While the tease didn’t give any insight into the gameplay or the potential exit window, it featured designers and voice actors at work against a dazzling array of concept art.

Last month, not only did Hudson himself confirm that a full remaster of the much-loved original Mass Effect trilogy is in the works for spring 2021, it also dropped the surprise announcement that another game in the Mass Effect franchise is under development at BioWare.

All of these projects will continue, Hudson and Darrah assured fans. Going forward, Christian Dailey – currently studio director of BioWare Austin – will lead Dragon age. the Mass Effect side of things will be directed by Mike Gamble, who was a producer on Mass Effect: Andromeda and main producer of Anthem.