Economic issues also affect the world of video games, sometimes leading to worrying situations. The current case affects Dragon Age 4, and we tell you everything you need to know.
The Dragon Age 4 teams are facing a succession of problems. A series of misfortunes that saddens us. This shows that the crisis affects everyone and all sectors… What can we learn?
Dragon Age 4 still suffers from a tense situation
According to a source from Polygon media, the team of quality testers (QA) for Dragon Age 4 was recently laid off. This news raises concerns about employment standards and severance pay in the video game industry.
Dragon Age 4 saw its own QA team unionize in mid-2022, marking the birth of the first union in Canada’s gaming industry. This trend emerges as general unionization in North America has been in decline since the 1950s. In 2022, only 11.3% of American workers were represented by a union.
Dublin-based developer Keywords Studios employed the laid-off QA team. They previously collaborated with BioWare Edmonton on Dragon Age 4. Following the non-extension of Keywords’ contract by the Canadian company in August, the Irish studio laid off its entire staff working on testing the next Dragon Age. Liz Corless, Global Marketing Manager at Keywords Studios, has confirmed that 13 Edmonton employees on the QA team have been laid off…
A spotlight
Although the layoffs, which occurred on September 27, were attributed to BioWare’s failure to extend Keywords’ contract, the layoff of all unionized QAs attracted attention. The union thus filed a complaint against Keywords at the beginning of October, aiming to contest the “minimum compensation” proposed. The move coincides with a lawsuit filed earlier this week by seven former BioWare employees. All against the EA subsidiary, alleging unfair dismissal.
These events take place in a broader context, where workers in the video game industry face challenges regarding job security and labor rights. BioWare, for example, carried out a wave of layoffs on Dragon Age in August, with around 50 employees losing their jobs. BioWare CEO Gary McKay, while not providing details on these layoffs, emphasized the company’s dedication to providing an optimal experience with the next title in the Dragon Age franchise.
The current situation at BioWare and Keywords Studios highlights a period of change and protest. And this affects the entire video game industry.