Rumor: 'Dragon Age: The Veilguard' Game Director Quits BioWare After Game's Poor Performance, Edmonton Studios To Be Shut Down
An alleged leaked email indicates that the Game Director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard left developer BioWare following the game’s poor performance. On top of this a rumor claims that BioWare’s Edmonton studio will be shut down.
Former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern aka Grummz shared an alleged email from the Game Director, a man who pretends to be a woman and calls himself Corinne Busche despite his name being Andrew.
In the email, which is undated, Busche informs BioWare staff that “Today is my last day at BioWare and EA.”
He explains, “After so much contemplation, I’ve decided to pursue a new challenge and a new project, doing what I love most - making RPGs. It wasn’t an easy decision, as I mean it when I say I love BioWare, the Dragon Age team, and what we’ve all accomplished together. My time with all of you has been the highlight of my career.”
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On top of sharing this leaked email, Kern also noted that BioWare Edmonton will be shut down.
He wrote on X, Corinne Busche, Game Director of Dragon Age Veilguard, has left Bioware and EA. Bioware Edmonton, the Veilguard studio, to be SHUTTERED.”
“The farewell email was shared with me and I verified her leaving with Smash JT’s contacts at EA/Bioware,” he continued. “The rumor that goes with this is that the Edmonton offices of Bioware will be shuttered in February, just before the EA TownHall for investors and gamers.”
“It's sad that after completely destroying the game with DEI trans-scars and terrible characters and writing, that the Game Director responsible for it all bails and leaves everyone else holding the bag,” he added. “These people often fail upwards through a woke studio system bent on promoting activists instead of great developers. Sad.”
In his coverage of the rumor, Smash JT claimed, “The studio is rumored to be closed as soon as February 2025.”
He added, “A follow-up email from my source within EA adds serious fuel to this ongoing fire. Correspondence from my inside source via their anonymous email stated, ‘Hey Jeff, Corinne is indeed gone. The current rumor is that they will announce the closure of BioWare Edmonton sometime around February just before the Electronic Arts Town Hall, basically when EA talks about what is going on for the last fiscal quarter and what's next.’”
Busche’s departure comes following long-time BioWare writer Sylvia Feketekuty leaving the company after 15 years.
She announced her departure on BlueSky, “Hey everyone: sorry I've been quiet on here. Was busy with a big decision, namely deciding to leave BioWare. I'll really, really miss working with everyone there. But after 15 years, it just feels like a good time for a break. (If/when I've got something noteworthy lined up, I'll mention it here!)”
At the end of December it was reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard sold worse than Star Wars Outlaws in Europe. Former Games Industry Head Christopher Dring said on an episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Microcast, “Star Wars Outlaws was the 14th best selling new game of the year, but No. 45 over all.”
Next, he stated, “Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which came out at the end of October, that was No. 19 in the best selling new game chart, but was No. 68 overall.”
He would later add during the podcast, “It was Christmas and in terms of AAA blockbuster, the traditional big blockbuster Christmas games, you had Call of Duty, which did well, and you had Dragon Age, which did not. So that is disappointing in that position.”
“Dragon Age had the market to itself and it couldn’t find an audience,” he continued. “And that’s really scary as we move into the following year.”
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Steam would also reveal the game was in the bottom half of its Top Sellers Chart for 2024 getting beat by the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV.
The game only hit a peak concurrent player count of 89,418, which it hit on its first Sunday after release back in November.
Furthermore, when asked about the game’s commercial success by Eurogamer, Busche dodged the question, “Unfortunately on the sales side, that's not something we can really discuss, but of course as we know with Inquisition, that was a long burn to get to those total sales numbers.”
What do you make of Busche leaving the company and this rumor that BioWare Edmonton could get shut down?
Locusts. Devastate and move on.
Not that Bioware will learn anything from this fiasco.