Mass Effect: Andromedasenior editor Cameron Harris announces that she will be leaving BioWare in the middle of April to pursue non-video gaming opportunities.
Those anticipatingMassEffect: Andromedamay want to start worrying. The high profile game has lost yet another member of its development team, with BioWare senior editor Cameron Harris departing from the company and the entire industry in the middle ofMass Effect: Andromeda’s development cycle.
Harris will remain with BioWare until the middle of April. At that point, she will be taking her talents to “new opportunities” in Seattle, Washington. Harris didn’t share what she plans on doing exactly after leaving the industry, but besidesMass Effect: Andromeda, she previously worked on the narrative aspects of games such asDragon Age: InquisitionandGears of War 3, so perhaps her future work will still be in a creative field.
Usually the departure of a staff member wouldn’t necessarily be all that concerning, but Harris’s exit is the third major team member to leave the game in the past couple of months. Previously, theMass Effect: Andromedadevelopment directordeparted the studio, and just three weeks ago, the game’slead writer leftAndromedato join Bungie, presumably to work on that studio’sDestinyfranchise.
The departure of three key members of theMass Effect: Andromedadevelopment team may alarm some fans. After all, it could be a sign that game development is not going smoothly, which could also explain why the public has only seen glimpses of the game so far, despite it being announced years ago.
IfMass Effect: Andromedais indeed experiencing a rocky development cycle, it could also explain why the game has reportedly been delayed. Originally, reports pegged the latest game in theMass Effectseries to drop by the end of this year, but the latest development hasMass Effect: Andromedareleasing in the first quarter of 2017at the earliest.
Having said that, BioWare is a large company, and even if it loses some important members of its staff, that doesn’t necessarily mean that its games are in trouble. On the contrary, it could mean that development onMass Effect: Andromedais actually going smoothly, and those certain staff members weren’t as integral to the project as they once were. It’s also worth noting that while BioWare has lost a number of staff members recently, it has also gained some, with formerMass Effect 1lead writerDrew Karpyshyn rejoining the company six months ago.
Until BioWare or Electronic Arts clarifies matters or reveals more ofMass Effect: Andromedato the public, all of this is just speculation. However, it is understandable that some fans may be concerned about the project until that time. Hopefully BioWare realizes this and we see more of the nextMass Effectsooner rather than later to ease any fans that are worried about the game.
What do you think aboutMass Effect: Andromedalosing yet another staff member? Do you think that it is a sign that the game’s development is in trouble, or is there nothing to worry about? Let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below.
Mass Effect: Andromedais due for release by March 31st, 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
