BioWare has had a great deal of success in recent history. With the inevitable release of Dragon Age 4 and upcoming launch of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it makes sense that they are in line to do very well. The company may be fairing well, but two of their highest-ranking employees have decided to retire. Casey Hudson, BioWare General Manager, is one of the two who has chosen to retire.
Hudson worked as the BioWare GM for a little over three years. In that time, he oversaw the release of two games: Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. He also oversaw the release and expansions to Star Wars: The Old Republic. Despite announcing his retirement, Casey Hudson made sure to reiterate previous exciting announcements. “A few months ago we provided a deeper look at the work that’s going into the next huge Dragon Age game. And on N7 Day we announced Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition and gave a hint at what’s coming next in the Mass Effect universe.” Hudson had stated retiring from Bioware wasn’t the end of the line. He wants to retire so that he can take personal time to reflect on his true creative passions.
The Executive Producer of the Dragon Age series, Mark Darrah, also announced plans to retire from under the BioWare umbrella. While he announced it with a seemingly heavy heart, Darrah didn’t feel his departure would affect the project’s success:
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.”
Two decades ago, Hudson was first credited with being a designer for MDK 2. Leaving BioWare in 2014, he joined up with Microsoft the following year. But he returned to the Mass Effect developers in 2017 to take the place of GM Aaron Flynn. Darrah originally joined as a programmer in 1997, two years after the company was first established.
How do you think the company will fare without Hudson and Darrah? What could this mean for the games BioWare is currently working on? Let me know in the comments!