BioWare, the gaming powerhouse behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect, is facing a lawsuit from seven former employees who are demanding better severance package. These individuals are among the 50 employees who lost their jobs in August. They state they received unnecessarily poor treatment and less than fair severance pay when the company laid them off.

According to a press release shared with IGN, the ex-employees filed a claim with Alberta's Court of King's Bench, where they're accusing BioWare of unfair dismissal. In the past, the Alberta courts have awarded a month’s severance pay per year of service, including benefits. The laid-off individuals argue that what they were offered was less than this, despite trying to negotiate with BioWare.

The former BioWare employees, with an average tenure of 14 years at the company, were fired without cause and have rejected the severance pay given by the company. They voiced their concerns about finding work, particularly as they cannot include any recent work on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in their portfolios due to BioWare's non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

The company's legal troubles extend further, as their contract details suggest illegal terms regarding terminations, with attempts to minimize its obligations to its laid-off employees against the Alberta Employment Standards Code.

BioWare had announced job cuts as a part of their “long-term vision” to build a “more agile and more focused studio," which unfortunately affected both Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect game's seasoned team. The company said they are committed to helping the affected employees find new jobs elsewhere within the company, but acknowledged that not everyone would be able to be placed.

These pink slips come at a time when multiple gaming companies, including Naughty Dog, Blizzard’s Hearthstone team, Team17, Ascendant Studios, Striking Distance, and Fortnite’s Epic Games, have also announced layoffs.

IGN, a leading gaming and entertainment media platform, has reached out to EA for a comment on the lawsuit.