BioWare’s Layoffs Include Veteran Writers Lukas Kristjanson and Mary Kirby

BioWare recently announced that it will be letting go of around 50 employees in a fresh round of layoffs, as it looks to become a more “agile” studio, and as it turns out, the list of people who’ll be departing the company as a result includes quite a few notable ones.

Former BioWare employee David Gaider, who was the narrative lead on Dragon Age, revealed on Twitter that as part of the studio’s recent layoffs, Lukas Kristjanson has also been let go. Kristjanson was at BioWare for over two and a half decades, serving as the lead writer on Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, and also worked on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and both Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises.

Meanwhile, fellow writer Mary Kirby has also been let go by BioWare. Kirby joined the studio in 2006, since when she has served as a writer on Dragon Age, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

BioWare is currently at work on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect game. The latter is still in pre-production, while the former has reportedly been hit with numerous internal delays, with a current target launch window of Summer 2024 “at the earliest”.

Stunned to learn BioWare also let go of Lukas Kristjanson. We used to call him Old Man Luke and Writer Alpha – there since BG1, the writer behind Minsc and Joker and so many more. One of Bio's longest-serving employees. Hats off to him, hope he's doing well.

— David Gaider (@davidgaider) August 24, 2023

So. Hey, if anyone's looking for a writer/narrative designer with kind of an absurd amount of experience, I'm available.

— Mary Kirby (@BioMaryKirby) August 23, 2023