EA Confirms BioWare Montreal’s Merge With Motive Studios
Aside from news about Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s DLC and other moves made by the team, it’s a wonder what the developers behind the game has been up to. Other projects like Anthem and other AAA titles have been placed on the high priority list, but there’s much more going on in the background than anticipated. During that time, it was also publicized that Motive Studios and BioWare were sharing a studio in Montreal, but it was more of a partnership to develop a big project such as ME:A. Instead of being a temporary alliance, EA has confirmed that the two studios will be merging into one.
Indeed, there was news during EA’s quarterly earnings call last week where CFO Blake Jorgenson stated that a new studio was in the process of being created in Montreal. Over 100 individuals were hired for this big move as well. Here’s what Jorgenson had to say on the matter:
We’re building out a new studio in Montreal, as we’ve told everyone. And we’ve hired over 100 people into that studio that are brand-new to EA. This is to build the new IP around Jade Raymond’s team that she’s been building. I was in that studio last month. And it’s a wonderful new addition to our team. And we brought our BioWare Montreal team into that same facility. So they now all sit in one new studio together.”
Plans to make a operations and development more efficient were put into play. After the underwhelming reviews, BioWare Montreal had reportedly scaled down and it was speculated this was a move to prepare for growth elsewhere down the pipeline. Despite this, Andromeda did quite well in terms of sales as reported in the call. Speaking with TechRaptor, a representative from EA further clarified information from the earnings call and confirmed the merge between the two studios:
The teams in EA Worldwide Studios are packed with talent, and more than ever, we’re driving collaboration between studios on key projects. With multiple major projects in development in Montreal, we are merging BioWare Montreal with Motive Studios. This is an ongoing process, but there are many exciting roles and opportunities for everyone on the team. BioWare continues its work on new titles – including the highly-anticipated game, Anthem. What’s coming next for BioWare is very exciting, and we’re thrilled to have Casey Hudson returning to lead the studios in Edmonton and Austin.”
Do you think the merge between Motive Studios and BioWare Montreal was a good move on EA’s part? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below or start your own conversation on Don’t Feed the Gamers official Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming news as they happen, follow us on Twitter! Here are some of our latest:
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Hoi is an elusive figure at DFTG, whose favorite past-times include chillin' in the Fade, reading manga, watching anime, collecting novelty items, and gaming.
