Bioware writer Drew Karpyshyn has left the studio a second time, going to work for 21st Century Fox’s growing gaming division FoxNext.
After leaving the company in 2012 to write a series of fantasy novels, the Chaos Born trilogy, Karpyshyn returned in 2015 and had been working on Bioware’s upcoming game, Anthem.
He’s also going to join Fogbank entertainment, a small studio in San Francisco captained by Daniel Erickson, another former Bioware employee and founder of Bioware Austin.
Karpyshyn was the lead writer for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the first two Mass Effect games.
On his website, Karpyshyn wrote a statement explaining his moves:
“I know a lot of you are wondering why I’m doing this. For many people, working at BioWare would be their dream job and they can’t imagine anyone stepping away from it. But it was time for me to move on.
“Everyone who works at BioWare pours their heart and soul into the games they are making. It’s creatively demanding and – at times – exhausting. In the past, I’ve managed to juggle outside projects with my work at BioWare, but it always took a toll. And there were always outside projects I had to pass on because they would represent a conflict of interest with BioWare or EA properties.
“So I made the decision to step back (again) and focus on my freelance work. I’d love to say more about the novel(s) I’m working on, or my graphic novel project, but those details will have to wait a while.
“I’m sure people will read more into this statement than there really is, but there’s not much I can do about that. I know some people are going to dwell on the past, but that’s not my style. I’m looking to a bright future, and I hope at least some of you will enjoy where this journey leads!”
