Mark Darrah Leaves Bioware

Mark Darrah, former Executive producer of the Dragon Age has left Bioware, according to a blog post by him today. Darrah has been a part of the industry since 1997, where he programmed the combat for the original Baldur’s Gate.

The news comes in a double-whammy as fellow Bioware member Casey Hudson also announced his own retirement.

The upcoming Dragon Age title will continue without him, however, as he confirmed in a very emotional sendoff.

“This has been a very difficult decision for me”, he says. “The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive”.

Before leaving, he also reassured fans that Christian Dailey would be filling in his shoes, and that the rest of the team would remain the same.

“Dragon Age will be in good hands”, he writes. “Christian Dailey will be moving into the Executive Producer role. Christian Dailey is a strong leader and will provide great insight into the rest of the Dragon Age leadership who remain. This is a team that includes people with decades of experience at BioWare. I am confident that, together, this is the team that can make this Dragon Age the best one yet”

He also gave his best to the Mass Effect team, saying he was looking forward to what they would be working on next.

“Mass Effect too has an exciting future. I won’t say too much but I am impressed by the growth of Mike Gamble and I am looking forward to all that franchise will do under his leadership”, he said.

This is Darrah’s second departure from Bioware, as he originally left the company in 2014 to join Microsoft. Shortly after, he rejoined the company, which he now leaves.

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