Corinne Busche, the director behind the acclaimed Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is reportedly set to depart from EA-owned BioWare in the coming weeks. According to Eurogamer, Busche served as the game director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard from February 2022 until its launch last year. IGN has reached out to EA for further comment on this matter.
Since its release in October last year, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has faced scrutiny regarding its commercial success. However, Eurogamer notes that Busche's departure will not impact the studio's ongoing operations. Busche, who joined BioWare in 2019 after working at Maxis on various The Sims projects, played a pivotal role in steering Dragon Age: The Veilguard to completion. Her leadership was crucial during the final years of a development cycle that spanned nearly a decade and included a significant pivot from a multiplayer framework to a full-fledged single-player RPG.
Eurogamer clarifies that Busche's exit from BioWare is not linked to the game's financial performance. EA has not yet disclosed whether Dragon Age: The Veilguard's sales and revenue have met or exceeded expectations, with the company set to announce its Q3 2025 financial results on February 4.
Moving forward, BioWare has confirmed that it will not be developing any DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Instead, the studio's focus has shifted to Mass Effect 5, which has been teased but not fully revealed to the public.
In August 2023, amid the release of Larian Studios' highly successful Baldur's Gate 3, BioWare underwent significant layoffs, affecting approximately 50 employees, including veteran narrative designer Mary Kirby. These layoffs were part of a broader restructuring at EA, which split the company into divisions focusing on sports and other genres. There were also rumors within BioWare about a 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 in 2024 receiving negative feedback. This led to a quick follow-up with an early gameplay teaser to reassure fans. The game's title change from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard also stirred mixed reactions. Despite these challenges, subsequent impressions of the game have been largely positive.
As BioWare navigates these changes, fans of the Dragon Age series are left pondering whether the studio will have the opportunity to develop a sequel to The Veilguard.
