David Gaider, former lead writer at BioWare, has revealed fascinating details about the studio's internal dynamics. According to Gaider, the teams responsible for Dragon Age and Mass Effect maintained separate identities and frequently experienced tension. This insight comes as both franchises have faced extended development cycles and mixed receptions for their latest installments, raising questions about BioWare's organizational culture.

Gaider's final project at BioWare was Anthem, the live-service sci-fi game that was discontinued in 2021 after just two years. This failure was particularly surprising given BioWare's strong track record with both Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Gaider's recent comments provide valuable context for understanding these challenges.

In a revealing Bluesky thread about his departure from BioWare to establish Summerfall Studios, Gaider detailed the strained relationship between the studio's two flagship teams. He described Dragon Age and Mass Effect as operating like separate companies, each with unique cultures and processes, and noted their frequent disagreements. This aligns with comments from former BioWare developer Mark Darrah, who mentioned that Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers wouldn't immediately assist with Mass Effect 4, highlighting the unusual nature of current cross-team collaboration at BioWare.

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BioWare's Internal Divide: Dragon Age vs. Mass Effect Teams

That was a mistake. You see, the thing you need to know about BioWare is that for a long time it was basically two teams under one roof: the Dragon Age team and the Mass Effect team. Run differently, very different cultures, may as well have been two separate studios. And they didn't get along. — David Gaider (@davidgaider.bsky.social) 2025-04-14T04:33:25.984Z

Gaider further explained that the Anthem team consisted mostly of former Mass Effect developers. As a Dragon Age veteran, Gaider found little welcome among these colleagues. His efforts to infuse Anthem with a science-fantasy aesthetic—as requested—were frequently criticized as being "too Dragon Age." This tension isn't new; in 2022, Mark Darrah noted that Mass Effect teams never utilized Dragon Age's custom development tools, creating unnecessary inefficiencies in both franchises.

Ultimately, these conflicts—combined with other organizational issues—led Gaider to leave BioWare. While it's unclear if these dynamics persist today, the studio continues to face challenges. Despite positive reviews, Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell nearly 50% short of EA's sales expectations and divided fans. Whether these results stem from internal tensions or other factors remains uncertain. All attention now turns to the next Mass Effect installment as BioWare seeks to regain its footing.