Announced today via a press release on the company’s site, BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson and Executive Producer ofDragonAgeMark Darrah are leaving the studio. The developers were notable figures atBioWareand associated heavily with its biggest IPs, with Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele claiming in a statement that both will be remembered as “an essential part of the studio’s history.”
According to Miele, the decision will not affect the current lineup of games in development at BioWare, with the likes ofMass Effect: The Legendary Editionand the newest entry in theDragon Ageseries set to continue as planned. With their departure, Samantha Ryan, former senior vice president of production and development for Warner Bros Games, will be overseeing the studio, while Christian Dailey will be taking an executive producer slot onDragon Age.
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According to Miele, the search is now on to fillCasey Hudson’s vacant slot as general manager, with the chief studios officer claiming the goal is to find someone who “embodies the values of this team and who will help carry on the incredible legacy of BioWare.” Both men have had lengthy stints working alongside BioWare, spearheading some of the company’s biggest games.
Casey Hudson is likely best known for serving as creative director on theMass Effecttrilogy andStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, leading the charge on developing both sci-fi RPGs. He originally departed the studio back in 2014, announcing in 2015 that hewould work alongside Microsoft on the Hololens. He later returned to the company in 2017 when BioWare’s former GM Aaryn Flynn vacated his position. Hudson’s work onMass EffectandStar Wars:Knights of the Old Republichas forever cemented the developer as a significant name in the RPG genre.
Meanwhile, Mark Darrah has been a significant part of theDragon Agefranchise since it first debuted back in 2009. Acting as an executive producer forDragon Age: Origins,Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age:Inquisition,andAnthem,he’s been one of the biggest names involved with the company for years and a huge asset for the studio’s seminal fantasy RPG franchise. Much like Hudson, he was an essential part of BioWare’s history and will surely move onto some exciting projects in the future.
Hudson and Darrah will be leaving behind some huge projects still to come in BioWare’s future, with the eagerly awaitedMass Effect: Legendary Editionset to launch next year and the fourthDragon Agegame primed to reignite the popular fantasy series in the near future. There also appears to bea fifth entry in theMass Effectfranchisein the works, although it is currently in the very early stages of development.
