It’s the start of a new gaming generation, but it’s also the end of an era for two veterans of the industry.
In a blog post announcing his latest departure, now former Bioware studio general manager and Mass Effect series architect Casey Hudson wrote about how the time was right to hand the reigns over to a younger generation of developers. “I’m incredibly fortunate to have had a career where I’ve been able to work with brilliantly talented people, create entire worlds from our imaginations, and see them being enjoyed by millions of people around the world,” Hudson explained.
And now, after nearly 20 years of work at BioWare, I’ve made the decision to retire from the studio and make way for the next generation of studio leaders.
Hudson originally left Bioware in 2014 for the greener pastures of Microsoft, returning in 2017 to help the studio out as its general manager. Which I imagine was similar to the same position on WWE but with far fewer instances of being hit over the head with a steel chair the night before Hell in a Cell. While Hudson’s exit will be felt, it’s the departure of Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah that will result in shockwaves being sent throughout the company.
After 23 years, Darrah wrote about how he’s calling it a day. “Though I remain confident in BioWare’s strength and continued place in this conversation, I have decided to retire from my position at BioWare,” Darrah explained. Bioware’s got a lot on its plate currently, after experiencing a few turbulent years of misfires. Anthem’s currently retooling itself in an attempt to be a better game, Mass Effect’s original trilogy is getting a remaster, and a new Dragon Age is in development.
Blizzard Entertainment veteran Christian Daley will step into Darrah’s shoes for Dragon Age 4, while Mike Gamble is in charge of the Mass Effect remaster. And in true Bioware fashion, very little is known so far about any of the games in development save for a brief snippet of concept art.
Last Updated: December 4, 2020
Mandalorian Jim
December 4, 2020 at 12:16
After 2 dismal Dragon Age games, a pitiful excuse for a Mass Effect game, I really think it’s time Bioware close their doors, sell their IP to Obsidian (or CD Projeck Red) and allow a real giant of RPG to make these game from now onwards.
Oddly though, I’ve been enjoying Anthem lately, which I never thought I would – I guess a broken clock will be right twice a day…