Corinne Busche, director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is reportedly departing from BioWare, an EA subsidiary. Eurogamer reports her departure, expected in the coming weeks, follows the game's launch last October. While IGN has sought comment from EA, Eurogamer states that the studio remains otherwise unaffected by this change.
Busche's contributions to BioWare spanned from 2019, following her systems design work on various Sims titles at Maxis. Her directorship was crucial in navigating the final stages of The Veilguard's development, a process detailed in IGN's article, "How BioWare Finally Got Dragon Age to the Finish Line After a Tumultuous Decade," which highlighted the game's extensive, near-decade-long development cycle and significant restructuring.
Eurogamer asserts that Busche's exit is unrelated to The Veilguard's commercial performance, the details of which EA has yet to disclose. EA's Q3 2025 financial results, scheduled for February 4th, are anticipated to shed light on sales figures.
BioWare has confirmed the absence of any planned DLC for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, shifting its focus to Mass Effect 5. This follows August 2023 layoffs affecting approximately 50 employees, including veteran staff like narrative designer Mary Kirby. These personnel changes occurred amidst broader internal restructuring at EA, leading to a division into sports and non-sports sectors, and fueled speculation regarding BioWare's potential acquisition. The shift of Star Wars: The Old Republic to a third-party publisher was reportedly intended to allow BioWare to concentrate on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The tumultuous journey continued with the 2024 reveal of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, initially met with negative fan reaction. This prompted a swift release of early gameplay footage to appease fans, and the name change from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard also drew criticism. Despite initial setbacks, subsequent impressions of the game were generally positive.
The future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain, leaving fans questioning whether BioWare will be given the opportunity to develop a sequel to The Veilguard.
