BYE-O-WARE(bioware)DEVELOPER IN NAME ONLY #DINO BEN IRVING BAILS ON ANTHEM
8BIOWARE=DEVELOPER IN NAME ONLY #DINO
BioWare loses two producers on Anthem, Dragon Age
James Brightman,Mon, 19 Aug 2019 21:34:00
BioWare, the venerable RPG studio that’s been battling a perception that it’s a “studio in crisis,” as Kotaku’s Jason Schreier reported in April, has just suffered two more key losses for a couple of its major franchises. Over the span of just a few days, the lead producers on Anthem and the upcoming Dragon Age announced their departures on social media.
Anthem lead producer Ben Irving was first, announcing on August 15 that he’d accepted “an exciting opportunity” at another studio.
“After 8 amazing years at BioWare I have made the decision to move on… Since the first time I played Baldur’s Gate many, many years ago, BioWare was the dream place I always wanted to work,” Irving wrote on Twitter. “I will forever be grateful to all the people who gave me the chance to work on great products with amazing people. I believe Anthem has a bright future - there is a great team working on it and I look forward to following its progress (and playing it!) from the sidelines.
Ben Irving, former Anthem producer
Irving’s announcement was quickly followed by a similar announcement from Fernando Melo, who had been a senior producer on the upcoming Dragon Age title codenamed “Morrison.”
“Today was my last day at BioWare,” Melo wrote on August 17. “After 12 years.. that's a heck of a lot of feels. :)
“Tonight I got to write my name up at our local pub, alongside many other amazing peers over the years, and it reminded me of a lot of folks no longer here that I miss dearly. There's really no easy way to sum up all the fantastic experiences and friendships across our studios, our partners, and in our community, that I've been so fortunate to have been a part of over these years.”
Melo also shared a photo of his official letter to the BioWare studio, noting that he needed “time to disconnect” and to figure out what his “next chapter” would entail. He also stressed that “Morrison” was shaping up to become the “definitive Dragon Age experience.”
Melo has a long history with Dragon Age at BioWare, having served as senior producer on Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 before he moved into the role of director of online development in 2011. Back in 2015, he switched franchises to assist with the online component of Mass Effect: Andromeda, but he then came back to Dragon Age to help with production on “Morrison.”