BioWare: Casey Hudson, Mark Darrah to Leave Studio, All Current Projects Planned to Continue

From Casey Hudson
blog.bioware.com/2020/12/03/from-casey-hudson/
by Author -Casey Hudson - Posted on December 3, 2020

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. 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.

It’s not an easy decision to make, and big changes like this always come with a certain degree of sadness. I will miss being able to work every day with our inspiring developers on the biggest and most exciting projects I can imagine. But I also know that this is a good time for a change, for both myself and BioWare.

When I became Studio GM a little over three years ago, our goal as a leadership team was to position our people and projects for long-term success. Now, as BioWare celebrates its 25th anniversary, the studio is poised for an exciting new era of amazing games. This year we’ve been inspired by the continued community support for our ongoing work on Star Wars: The Old Republic and Anthem. 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. It’s an exciting time, both in terms of projects you’ve heard about, and some things not yet announced.

Arriving at this point has been an opportunity for me to reflect on my own future, and 2020 has been a year that forced all of us to re-imagine how we think about work and life. For me, it’s been the realization that I still have tremendous energy to create, but also that I need to try something different. I’m not sure exactly what that is yet, but I know that I want to start by rediscovering my creative passion through more personal work.

Mark Darrah, the Executive Producer for Dragon Age, is also announcing his retirement from the studio today. We have worked together since the early days of BioWare and I have valued his contribution immensely – especially in recent years as a key partner in leading the studio.

One of the things that makes these decisions easier is knowing that BioWare will move forward with a strong and complete set of studio leaders. We have a very talented leader in Gary McKay, our Sr. Director of Development Operations, who will be BioWare’s interim Studio GM. Christian Dailey has been a driving force for BioWare as Studio Director for BioWare Austin and will be taking over the role of Dragon Age’s Executive Producer. Gary and Christian will have the support of an experienced group of project and department leaders who are ready to guide BioWare into the future.

There are so many people I want to thank for sharing in this journey: Our players, who inspire us and make it all possible. Electronic Arts, which has given us a stable and supportive environment to keep making games even in the most unstable times. And the many amazing people that I’ve had the honor of working with and learning from over the years.

Perhaps most of all I want to thank BioWare’s founders, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, for hiring me back in 1998 as a junior technical artist. They took a chance on me and fundamentally altered the course of my life in the most amazing way. Because of their wisdom and foundational values, BioWare has always been a company built on humility, integrity, and the idea of finding great people and fully empowering them. We’ve been fortunate to have found success, and I know those enduring values will continue to guide BioWare’s success in the future.

It’s profound and humbling to look back on a decades-long career and think about the things we’ve achieved together. It’s hard to make the decision to move on, but I’m excited about what’s next, for all of us.

Thank you,
Casey Hudson

Well, shit

Oh lord, here we go again.

"This is the end of BioWare for SURE this time! The game is ruined! All the talented people were born in 1967 and there will never be anymore ever again!"

Welp.

This won't affect my anticipation for the game.

At the very least, I want to see what comes out of this.

EVERYTHING'S FINE

Did Bioware even release a game while Casey was in charge...?

Losing Mark is definitely a blow, but hell...23 years is a long time at one company. Can't really blame him for wanting to see what else is out there.

insert as appropriate

It is with ...great sadness/mixed emotions... that I leave Bioware today.

The team there is so ... creative/energetic/passionate/I don't recognize anyone anymore who the fuck is that? ... and I leave them making ... amazing/inspiring/not at all what we originally planned .. work.

I look to the future of Bioware's games with ... great excitement/anticipation/constipated terror... and can't wait to see what they produce next.

Oh and by the way, EA has been ...wonderful/so supportive/steady and sure/a horror inducing nightmare ...and I ..thank/curse .. them for all their efforts/attempts at sabotage/budget cuts

With ...great relief/sorrow .. I'm yeeting out of here.


Seriously though, I feel so sorry for them.  Mark especially sounds so sad

I'm not saddened by Casey Hudson's departure — I always associated him more with Mass Effect  — but Mark Darrah leaving is a big blow.

I wouldn't worry about the projects in production. This departure won't affect them. At least, if they do get canceled, Casey and Mark leaving won't be the reason behind it.

This announcement has been a long time coming, as far back as September 2019, perhaps. If any of the games do get canceled from here on, would be because of the progress and/or quality of the content produced so far. I know how it looks, but technically, this changes very few things.

And since this is coming from me, who is a little known for being a bit too critical, I hope you understand why I am being reassuring. The only variable I can't account for, is the newcomers and how they will influence things going forward, though I assume the teams will remain mostly unaffected in their projects in the immediate future.