Corinne Busche, the director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is set to leave EA-owned BioWare in the coming weeks, according to Eurogamer. Busche took the helm of the project from February 2022 until its launch in October of the previous year. IGN has reached out to EA for comment on this development.
Since its release, there have been ongoing discussions about the success of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. However, Eurogamer clarified that Busche's departure is not linked to the game's commercial performance. EA has yet to disclose whether the game's sales and revenue met or exceeded their expectations, with the company set to report its Q3 2025 financial results on February 4.
Busche joined BioWare in 2019 following her time at Maxis, where she contributed to the design of systems for The Sims projects. Her leadership was crucial in steering Dragon Age: The Veilguard to completion, particularly during the final stages of its development. This project followed a tumultuous decade that saw the game evolve from a multiplayer concept with repeatable quests to a comprehensive single-player RPG.
BioWare has confirmed that it will not be producing any DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Instead, the studio is now focusing on Mass Effect 5, which has been teased but not yet fully revealed.
In August 2023, amid the release of Larian's highly successful Baldur's Gate 3, BioWare underwent significant layoffs, affecting around 50 employees, including long-time staff such as narrative designer Mary Kirby. These layoffs were part of a broader restructuring at EA, which separated its operations into sports and other categories. Rumors circulated about BioWare's potential acquisition, and Star Wars: The Old Republic was transitioned to a third-party to allow BioWare to concentrate on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The journey of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been turbulent, with the initial reveal in 2024 met with negative feedback. The studio quickly responded by releasing an early gameplay teaser, but the name change from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard also faced criticism. Despite these challenges, subsequent impressions of the game were generally positive.
With Busche's departure and the focus shifting to Mass Effect 5, fans of Dragon Age are left wondering whether BioWare will have the opportunity to create a follow-up to The Veilguard.