Larian Studios’ publishing chief, Michael Douse, has strongly criticized EA following the mass layoffs at BioWare, stating that such decisions destroy a studio’s “institutional knowledge.” He emphasized that firing key developers between projects severely harms the industry.

Lead Writer and Other Key Dragon Age: The Veilguard Developers Leave EA and BioWare

Douse believes that corporate strategies like these prioritize cost-cutting over game quality. He compared the situation to a pirate ship where the captain would be thrown overboard for failure.

Following Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s struggles, BioWare lost many talented developers, including writers responsible for some of the series’ most iconic characters. For instance, Trick Wikes, who wrote Mordin in Mass Effect 2 and 3, as well as Iron Bull and Solas in Inquisition, is among those who have departed.

Unlike EA, Larian operates with independence and creative freedom—something that allowed it to release Baldur’s Gate 3 without pressure from shareholders.