BioWare is laying off 50 employees, studio manager Gary McKay announced yesterday. No mention of what roles were being made redundant was made at the time, only that the studio's "commitment remains steadfast" when it comes to the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. That's hard to believe now, in light of the fact that writer Mary Kirby, who gave the world the hairy-chested Varric, is among those looking for new employment.
Kirby started at BioWare all the way back in 2006, writing for the beloved Dragon Age: Origins, and aside from a stint on Star Wars: The Old Republic—the MMO which has also faced recent layoffs, thanks to BioWare handing over the reins to third-party studio Broadsword Online Games—has stuck with the Dragon Age series throughout her time at the company.
Among her contributions to Dragon Age was the creation of Varric Tethras, the dwarven lothario first introduced in Dragon Age 2. He serves as the RPG's unreliable narrator, returning in Dragon Age: Inquisition, where he once again steals the show. Among BioWare's multitude of characters over the years, he's a favourite, which frankly makes it absolutely wild that BioWare would get rid of the writer behind him.
Kirby was also the writer responsible for Sten, the series' first Qunari, and the bitingly sarcastic Vivienne. Basically: if you've enjoyed the writing in any Dragon Age games, you've probably got Kirby to thank.