BioWare Hires New GM After High-Profile Departures

BioWare, the esteemed game developer behind franchises like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, has announced that Gary McKay is its new general manager. McKay was formerly the interim GM for BioWare following the departure of former GM Casey Hudson in December 2020. Longtime producer Mark Darrah also left in December.

McKay is BioWare's new permanent GM. He got his start with EA back in 1998 before moving to Propaganda Games and then other companies. He returned to EA in January 2020. "Now you could say I've come full circle," he said in a blog post.

"When you spend over 20 years in the industry, there are a small handful of studios on your bucket list in terms of teams you’d want to work with--and BioWare is at the top of my list," he added. "This studio is unique in that it has an incredible history of building critically successful games and universes that are truly beloved by so many fans. For me, success is all about rebuilding that reputation, and delivering on that promise of quality."

McKay becomes BioWare's new GM just after the company launched the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. McKay said he's proud of what the team achieved during difficult times due in part to the pandemic.

Looking to the future, McKay said BioWare is "laser-focused on releasing the types of games BioWare has built a reputation on." These would be "high-quality console, PC, and online RPG games with rich stories, unforgettable characters, and vast worlds."

McKay confirmed that work continues on the new Dragon Age and Mass Effect games that are in production, while he also teased that BioWare has plans to celebrate Star Wars: The Old Republic's 10th anniversary this year.

"I could not be more excited about the future of BioWare," he said.