Drew Karpyshyn, best known for his role as lead writer on the brilliant Mass Effect 2, has left developer BioWare for the second time. Karpyshyn first made his way out of the company back before the release of Mass Effect 3, but he returned last year to help out with ANTHEM.
On his official site, Karpyshyn writes that he's simply moving on to other things. He's set to "pursue a number of other projects, including more original novels, an original sci-fi graphic novel I'm co-creating, and freelance gaming work". Good luck to him.
But what does this mean for ANTHEM? Without trying to sound like a bunch of total downers, our concern for the project is starting to grow. In January of this year, there were reports that BioWare is really starting to feel the pressure as it heads deeper into production, and the title was hit with a confirmed delay into 2019. And now, with the departure of Karpyshyn, we can't help but speculate.
What do you make of this? Is it a warning sign, or just business as usual? Let us know if you're looking forward to seeing more of ANTHEM in the comments section below.
[source drewkarpyshyn.com, via gameinformer.com]
Comments 23
Bioware: "Where are we going, Papa EA?"
Drew scarperedshyn.
theyll be alright
Could be that he has finished writing the story?
At this stage, they should be deep in QA rather than writing. I hope Bioware can pull a great game out of their hat but I worry about the EA pressure.
It's EA. We know what's going on.
@Rudy_Manchego That's where my head is at. Surely once the job is done, you move on.
@Shellcore I'd think and he came on quite late. Could be to do some script or story sharpening. Happens a lot in movies where you hire back an old writer or collaborator to polish or give 'notes'.
Just assuming this will be a bit rubbish like Destiny for now, all hype & super repetitive grind, with no soul. But if they can make something great then that would be great to see. Fingers crossed.
So I should blame him for the bad story of Mass Effect 2? Still, he was the lead writer for the first Mass Effect game so I applaud him anyway.
Is it that unusual though, for lead writers to move to new projects once they feel they are done?!
I don't think this news is that dramatic, unless you want to start a fight about Anthem again.
No doubt the game will come out before the end of EA's Fiscal year regardless and we don't know if he had written the main plot, or at least the outline of it before moving on. Its still a year away and you would hope that the backbone of the game is built.
It could be a game that launches in a mediocre state but improves over time - look at other games that tried this format - the Division, Destiny....
I hoped this game would be 'better' at launch but I fully expected this to be a game that grows and improves over time.
Maybe people figured he'd be sticking as lead writer for Anthem, but Drew Karpyshyn seems to always worked as contractors on a game by game basis.
If the story is pretty much all fleshed out, which by this point it really should be, I don't think it's that weird for him to leave to continue pursuing his other passions, as he did after Mass Effect was wrapped up for him.
He has written Mass Effect books, so I wouldn't be surprised if he started working on an Anthem book as well.
Otherwise, they have other writers to continue Anthem's future updates/content, if it's heavy on writing or not (who can say). I would say that if the Creative Director left Bioware, then it'd be more concerning at this point in production.
EA: "BioWare, your survival depends on ANTHEM being a huge success, a flawless release which makes us a billion dollars a year, just like FIFA. If you fail, we'll shut you down and pick over the carcass for spare parts to boost our mobile games division."
Gamers: "BioWare, we know you've had it rough of late, but we think Mass Effect Andromeda was so bad, we're gonna distrust everything you ever do from now on. Anybody who might still take a chance on a new IP from you will likely boycott it anyway, because we all hate EA."
Drew Karpyshyn:
Can't really blame him.
Maybe as a professional writer micro transactions dumbs down or makes a cohesive storyline pants?! And he thought meh, if a game is gonna be full of mtc garbage just hire a lackey or roll a die and make up some mumbo jumbo pointless dialogue... Ps. my comment is speculative and just waffling! Not to be taken seriously
@Bonbonetti Blame MAC WALTERS for Mass Effect 2! I thought Walters did a good enough job, but my invisible hat really goes off to Karpyshyn for his work on Mass Effect 1 (he basically created the overall game world, right?).
And @drd7of14 made a really good point...Karpyshyn doesn't have any real reason to stay with Bioware long-term. I think there are a lot of red flags for ANTHEM (i.e. the name. I mean, "Anthem"?!), but Karpyshyn leaving isn't one. I'm still cautiously optimistic!
This game is going to bomb and EA will finally be able to put Bioware out of their misery
The writing was actually the only thing I was looking forward to in Anthem. I figured, "If Drew Karpyshyn is working on Anthem, it has to be good!"
Not that we know enough about it to say it will do bad, but I personally have lost interest in the game, and the fact that it's a Bioware game has no where near the same effect today as it did a decade ago.
Leaving already?
Something is really wrong with Bioware.
@smelly_jr Thanks for the correction.
Probably because he's written enough story to be cut up in DLC form, I just can't see this game being the what it's gonna cost I can see it been cut up to pieces and sold like Destiny I really can.
@Rudy_Manchego At this point in time, with the way the industry works, yeah, he might have finished the base story. But the way EA are pushing for games as a service, don't you think they should have him working on the expansions the game is going to most definitely receive?
it means the exapnsions will be crap
@exo You could be right - then again, well written expansion content? Who do you think this is, CD Projekt Red?
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