BioWare Loses Anthem Director Jonathan Warner

Jonathan Warner, an experienced developer who worked for BioWare as a Chief of Staff and Director of Anthem announced his departure from the studio.

Jonathan Warner explained his decision on social media where he confirmed that he is “moving on to do new things,” without sharing more details about his next project.

“BioWare has been home to my grateful heart for nearly 10 years and I want to wish them all the best,” Warner wrote on Twitter “[Dragon Age, Mass Effect] and [Star Wars: The Old Republic] are in good hands and I can’t wait to play from this side of the screen.”

The executive joined BioWare as a senior producer for the Mass Effect franchise in 2012. His accomplishments led him to become a game director in 2015 taking a leadership role in the development of Anthem, he was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2019.

It’s uncertain if Warner blames himself for the failed project or if he is leaving BioWare due to disappointment with the management at BioWare that certainly rushed the game and released it in an unacceptable state. It’s also possible that Warner has left the company due to Electronic Arts’ decision to cancel Anthem’s redesign in late February 2021.

An extensive Kotaku article reports on the troubled development of Anthem, citing insider information that reveals the developer’s crunch, shaky leadership, and low morale of the development team.

In late 2020 BioWare lost General Manager Casey Hudson and Executive Producer Mark Darrah, the former Senior Vice President, Development & Production at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Samantha Ryan will “will continue to oversee the studio”, while BioWare Austin Studio Director Christian Dailey will join the Dragon Age team to lead the development of the upcoming game.

Source: GamesIndustry.Biz – Kotaku

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