Two Senior Employees Depart from BioWare

Last night, it was revealed that not one, but two legendary figures will be leaving Bioware's ranks: Mark Darrah, a 23-year studio veteran who worked as the executive producer for the Dragon Age series, and Casey Hudson, who worked as the studio head and general manager on-and-off for the past 22+ years.

This is the first time that Mark Darrah has left the company, while this is technically the second time Casey Hudson has departed, as he took a three year stint between 2014 and 2017 at Microsoft.

From Mark's announcement post:

"I have been at BioWare since the 90s. Back when CRPGs were considered a dead genre. Through the last 23 years, I have watched video games evolve and grow into a truly powerful communication medium. We are an important part of so many people’s lives. And BioWare has been a part of this journey. Though I remain confident in BioWare’s strength and continued place in this conversation, I have decided to retire from my position at BioWare.

This has been a very difficult decision for me. The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive."

And from Casey:

"Arriving at this point has been an opportunity for me to reflect on my own future, and 2020 has been a year that forced all of us to re-imagine how we think about work and life. For me, it’s been the realization that I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different. I’m not sure exactly what that is yet, but I know that I want to start by rediscovering my creative passion through more personal work."

Both of them assured their readers that their respective franchises, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, were in capable hands and that the next games to come out of each IP will be the best ever.

Hopefully they both find what they're looking for in this great wild world of ours.