Screenwriter Mass Effect explained why he left BioWare
Former Mass Effect screenwriter Mack Walters explained why he left BioWare after 19 years of work: several factors influenced his decision.
In an interview with Minnmax, Walters said that the opportunity to work again in a small team and the desire to work on something new-these are the reasons for his departure.
After 19 years of work, I just felt that the very moment came. There was no significant event or something that I needed to discuss, so I said "Let’s part in a friendly manner. You will continue to go about your business, and I will go about my business and deal with this".
Work on Legendary Edition, uniting the original Mass Effect trilogy in one collection for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, also caused Walters to move on for several reasons.
Usually games have been planned for years, but when EA asked BioWare to do Legendary Edition, "Suddenly we have this unplanned project", – Says Walters. "What should we do with it, right? Therefore, for me, it was a way to make it successful in being a little unusual and a little entrepreneurial in how we were going to build it with those people that we had, and with those that we could get without violating the work of others teams".
This process reminded me of the early days of BioWare. We were a small team. Much of this reminded me of the good old days or something else.
Being a leading screenwriter of the Mass Effect 2 and 3, work on Legendary Edition also allowed Walters to complete the work on the series, which repelled him to do something else.
For me it was such a successful project, in the sense that the team was healthy, we really got along with each other, and, of course, it was successful in critical and financial terms. I just felt that this was the end of everything that I did with Mass Effect, that is, all that I did. I don’t want to make Mass Effect anymore after that. Why tempt fate?
Therefore, he wanted to work on something new, but since BioWare stuck firmly in the Mass Effect 5 and Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, "It became completely clear that the opportunity to do this will probably not", "At least in the foreseeable future".
Walters seemed to achieve this, having founded a new studio that will develop "Adventure AAA AAA with an emphasis on the narrative and construction of the world". Worlds Untold is supported by the Chinese game company Netease and is based in Vancouver, Canada.