With Casey Hudson, who was instrumental in the creating the original Mass Effect trilogy, stepping down from his post as General Manager of BioWare. In addition to this, Dragon Age veteran Mark Darrah is also leaving the studio.

Samantha Ryan, former Warner Brothers Games leader, is stepping in to run the studio from EA as the search for a new GM begins. No doubt this is a surprising bit of news and will spark some speculation as to reasoning based on BioWare's recent track-record of spotty releases in the form of the flawed duo of Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda. Laura Miele, Chief Studios Officer, Electronic Arts, made the departure announcement overnight with Casey Hudson also writing his own heartfelt farewell.

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.

Adding that as the studio is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, "it’s an exciting time, both in terms of projects you’ve heard about, and some things not yet announced". Which is in reference to the new Dragon Age game in development, the next Mass Effect proper, and the remastered Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition.

Mark Darrah also posted a farewell, noting.

This has been a very difficult decision for me. The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive.

Adding that the next Dragon Age is in good hands with Christian Dailey taking over the Executive Producer role and that the team "includes people with decades of experience at BioWare". He also notes that it's shaping up to be the best Dragon Age to date.

Again, in terms of RPG history BioWare is legendary though the recent misses of Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda mean that there's a lot riding on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect entries. But, based on that history and the potential of these franchises we're still excited to see them in action as they come together.