A story that Chris Avellone hinted at nearly two years ago has finally been told. The veteran RPG writer, known for his work on Planescape: Torment, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Fallout: New Vegas, claims that a producer at BioWare used to judge job applicants based on what they had liked on LinkedIn.
Avellone shared the allegation on X earlier this week, in the middle of a heated online conversation about BioWare following EA's decision to shut down the studio.
What Chris Avellone Said
The story started back in 2024, when Avellone replied to a post by saying he once had an experience with a BioWare producer who showed the full extent of their hiring practices. He called it a story for another day, and added that it was cause for a lawsuit.
Earlier this week, a user replied to that old post asking if it was finally time for the tale. Avellone answered.
He did not name the producer or say when this happened, and he did not share any specific examples of applicants who were turned down.
Avellone Says Screening Has Its Place
Avellone was careful to add some nuance in follow-up posts. He said there are situations where looking at a candidate's online activity makes sense, giving examples like someone who does not want to work in teams, someone who hates game development or someone using a studio as a stepping stone to another job. In this case, however, he said it did not feel appropriate.
"Not approving someone because of lack of skill or experience, sure - but I don't expect everyone to have the same political viewpoint as I do, nor do they have to have the same viewpoint to work well together on a game," Avellone wrote.
He went on to say that some of his friends hold radically different views than he does, but that he has worked alongside them on games and trusts their skills. "In general, I don't discuss politics or bring politics into game development: I want to focus on the game as entertainment and how to improve the player's experience," he added, saying he wants the most skilled person doing the job.
In another reply, Avellone also commented on the development of Anthem, saying it had a rocky development and that the way it was managed caused at least one developer he knows to quit after a long stretch at BioWare.
Why It Is Getting So Much Attention
The timing has a lot to do with how widely the story has spread. EA announced the closure of BioWare earlier this week, and the next Mass Effect game was canceled along with it. Since then, players have been arguing over what went wrong at the studio, with some blaming management, some pointing to EA's live-service push and others claiming the studio had become too focused on ideology.
Avellone's story has been picked up by people on that last side of the debate as an example of a problem inside the studio. Others have pushed back, pointing out that it is a single anecdote about one unnamed producer and cannot speak for the hiring practices of a studio that employed hundreds of people over several decades.
It is worth stressing that this is an unverified allegation. BioWare and EA have not responded to Avellone's claim, and with the studio now shutting down, it is unclear whether either company will. There is also no public information on which producer Avellone is referring to or which projects they worked on.
A Broader Question For The Industry
Beyond BioWare, the story touches on a debate that comes up often in gaming and tech. Plenty of companies look at an applicant's social media as part of the hiring process, and there is no clear agreement on where reasonable screening ends and personal bias begins. Avellone's own position is that skill and teamwork should matter most, and that political disagreements should not get in the way of making a great game together.
Do you think it is fair for studios to look at an applicant's social media likes, or should hiring focus only on skills and experience?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.