New BioWare general manager wants to rebuild the studio's reputation for quality

Dragon Age and Mass Effect developer Bioware's new general manager says he wants to focus on "rebuilding" the studio's reputation.

In a new blog post, Bioware confirmed that Gary McKay, who joined the studio in January 2020 as head of development operations and has been acting as interim GM since his predecessor Casey Hudson's departure in December, has now taken on the role on a permanent basis.

In a statement, McKay - who has held a number of GM roles in his 23-year game development career - said that BioWare is at the top of his career bucket list thanks to its "incredible history of building critically successful games and universes." After a difficult few years for the studio - marked by high-profile departures, the mixed success of Mass Effect: Andromeda, and the outright failure of Anthem - McKay says that success in his role will call back to the studio's past, focusing on "rebuilding that reputation, and delivering on that promise of quality."

Coming into his new permanent role of the back of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, McKay says that the studio's future will be "laser-focused on releasing the types of games BioWare has built a reputation on," specifically "high-quality console, PC, and online RPG games with rich stories, unforgettable characters, and vast worlds." While there's no word on anything to do with Anthem, older BioWare fans should be well catered to, as McKay says that the studio is continuing with work on the next Mass Effect game and Dragon Age 4, as well as towards Star Wars: The Old Republic's tenth anniversary.

McKay's original stint as GM began after the departure of long-time BioWare veterans Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah. The pair had both been with the studio for more than 20 years, with Darrah, in particular, having shaped the entire Dragon Age franchise since its inception. Their departure in the wake of Anthem's difficult journey was likely a concern for fans, who Darrah attempted to assure by saying that "Dragon Age will be in good hands." The fantasy series was absent from E3 2021, but given that it's not expected until the 2022 financial year, that's not a huge surprise.

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