Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

More bad news has emerged for BioWare today. Gamasutra confirmed that Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) Executive Producer Rich Vogel has departed the company. Vogel is a gaming industry veteran of over 20 years and has worked on such projects as Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies and Meridian 59 to name a few.

In addition to Vogel’s reported departure, Gamasutra also stated that BioWare Austin is suffering another round of layoffs. There’s been no official word from EA or BioWare on the matter as of yet or what number the possible redundancies may be.

BioWare announced back in May that it had laid off some of its staff following a loss of over 400,000 subscribers to SWTOR as part of a restructuring plan. How many may be affected if the layoff reports prove true is currently unknown.

Source: Gamasutra

Update: An EA spokesperson confirmed to GamesIndustry International today's layoffs for BioWare Austin are part of the restructuring plan announced back in May.

"As with the launch of any MMO, the size and skillset of the teams needed to maintain the game is different than the ones that built it. Starting in May, there have been staff reductions in the BioWare Austin studio. Some people have been platooned to other projects at BioWare Austin and EA SPORTS/Austin. Others have been released - qualifying personnel receive severance and outplacement assistance."

"BioWare Austin is currently staffed to ensure the continued delivery of new, high quality game content for The Old Republic, and at a more frequent cadence. In the weeks ahead, we will announce plans for growing SWTOR with new content, new players and new ways to play."