Many gamers were notably upset when it was revealed that Drew Karpyshyn, who worked onStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect,andAnthem,was once again leaving Bioware. After all, Karpyshyn’s aforementioned accolades speak for themselves, but the reason he chose to leave, he states, is to pursue “more original novels, an original sci-fi graphic novel [he’s] co-creating, and freelance gaming work.”
Some gamers were worried that Karypshyn was abandoning his work onAnthemmidway through development, which would have been a huge problem for BioWare – a studio whose fan base is still frustrated afterMass Effect: Andromeda. However, Casey Hudson, general manager of the studio, took to Twitter to clarify that this was not the case. When asked if the departure of Karpyshyn would negatively impact the story elements ofAnthem, he responded, “Story will always be an important part of every BioWare game.”
Concerning Karpyshyn, Hudson continued, “Drew has wrapped up his work on the project.” According to Hudson, Karpyshyn’s departure was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. His work was completed and he was not abandoningAnthem, but instead was leaving the remaining story work to the teams at BioWare to finish up.
While it’s sad to see Karpyshyn leave once again, no one can blame him for pursuing his own creative desires. However, it’s hard not to see this as a mass exodus, asDragon Agecreative directorMike Laidlaw has recently left BioWare as well. They join multiple others who have also left the company such as general manager Aaryn Flynn andDragon Agelead writer David Gaider. It remains to be seen how these departures ultimately affect BioWare, but time will eventually tell.
Hopefully, Karpyshyn’s creative desires will still be felt in the gaming community, as his talents have inspired an immense number of gamers. He did cite “freelance gaming work” as a reason for leaving, so it remains a possibility. Nevertheless, his departure ultimately leaves fans asking an age-old question, “Will we ever getStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3?”
