In yet another blow to the once magnificent-now-struggling ship called BioWare, Sylvia Feketekuty, a Senior Writer with the company for 15 years, has announced her departure. This comes on the heels of a disastrous launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Currently rumored to be selling under 1.5 million copies out of the expected 10 million+ sales estimations. The news broke via BlueSky, where Feketekuty shared her decision:
“Hey everyone: sorry I've been quiet on here. Was busy with a big decision, namely deciding to leave BioWare. I'll really, really miss working with everyone there. But after 15 years, it just feels like a good time for a break. (If/when I've got something noteworthy lined up, I'll mention it here!)”
She later added:
“I'll go back to answering your questions/comments (thank you for them!) before shutting the account down. It'll still just be slow. (Because I've left BW, there's likely a few things I can't answer now just because I can't look them up with certainty anymore. But a lot of questions I saw are fine.)”
The fact that Feketekuty is leaving WITHOUT a plan or future prospect is extremely telling. She began her career at BioWare with Mass Effect 2 in 2010 and contributed to several high-profile titles, including Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Anthem, before returning to the Dragon Age series for The Veilguard.
Her decision to leave the company comes amid increasing speculation that the game’s underperformance could spell further trouble for BioWare, as multiple insiders have communicated to me that heavy layoffs at the studio are incoming.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard — A Flop by the Numbers
The Veilguard has been widely criticized for failing to meet both player and industry expectations, despite glowing reviews from a heavily curated group of "professional" reviewers. The game saw only a peak concurrent player count of just 89,418, which has since plummeted to a meager 11,279 in the last 24 hours—a nearly 90% drop in under two months.
Despite this alarming decline, Game Director Corinne Busche (a man clearly displaying serious mental health concerns while identifying as a woman) sidestepped questions about the game’s sales performance.
When asked by Eurogamer about the commercial response, Busche stated:
“Unfortunately on the sales side, that's not something we can really discuss, but of course as we know with Inquisition, that was a long burn to get to those total sales numbers.”
As I reported previously, an insider revealed that internal expectations for The Veilguard were ambitious... to say the least, with a rumored target of 10 million copies sold within three months by parent company EA. However, the game has only managed to sell under 1.5 million copies so far, and now expected to maybe cross 3 million lifetime - falling drastically short of any initial projections.
The exact number remains undisclosed to protect the insider’s anonymity, but it’s clear that the title’s failure has sparked quite a bit of finger pointing within the company.
Layoffs Looming?
In light of The Veilguard’s underwhelming performance, rumors of impending layoffs have begun to circulate. As I reported previously, an insider recently contacted me, revealing that the mood within BioWare is grim:
“There’s rumors around the office that layoffs are on the horizon."
The failure of Veilguard has prompted deep introspection within the company, as leadership scrambles to identify and address the root causes. It’s pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain to figure out why Veilguard sputtered, but the closer you are to the center, apparently, the more blurry that image gets for some.
This insider’s warning could very well be the tip of the iceberg. BioWare, once a titan of RPG development, has faced an increasing number of self-inflicted wounds over recent years, from the lukewarm reception of Anthem to ongoing criticism of Mass Effect: Andromeda. Now, The Veilguard’s flop has driven the studio even closer to the edge. How much more can it take?
What Went Wrong?
BioWare’s struggles with The Veilguard are emblematic of broader issues plaguing the company. From misaligned leadership to a gigantic disconnect with their previously established core audience, the studio has repeatedly stumbled. Many fans of the series and big time YouTube personalities like Endymion and Hypnotic have criticized the prioritization of identity politics over engaging storytelling and meaningful gameplay.
I've personally even pointed to lead developer Corinne Busche’s comments about being trans as a primary example of misplaced focus:
“Being trans shaped everything about who I am.”
While representation is important, I'd argue that statements like that one—alongside the game’s lackluster narrative and technical issues—highlight a much deeper problem: BioWare has lost touch with what made their games resonate with audiences in the first place... The sales took a massive blow, and now the company is eroding, with a massive figurehead leaving on their own, with no plans of what to do in the future.
The Beginning of the End?
Feketekuty’s departure genuinely feels like a significant turning point. After dedicating 15 years of her life to BioWare, her decision to leave speaks volumes about the state of the studio as-is. Combined with The Veilguard’s abysmal performance and rumors of layoffs, it’s hard to ignore all the signs that BioWare may be crumbling right in front of our eyes under its own weight.
The coming months will undoubtedly be critical for the studio... w/mounting pressures from fans, EA investors, and employees alike, BioWare’s future hangs directly in the balance. One thing's for certain: unless they make significant changes, The Veilguard may not just be a commercial failure—it could mark the beginning of the end for BioWare - one of gaming’s most iconic studios... And it may be to late to stop the incoming tsunami that's almost assured to wipe them out as an organization, joining so many other failed EA subsidiary purchases over the years.
Here's my advanced "RIP", BioWare.
~Smash
faggot sexist loser