BioWare executive producer Casey Hudson has left the company after 16 years, according to a post on the BioWare blog, to move on to "a new stage" of his career.

Hudson was the executive producer of the Mass Effect series at BioWare. He started his career at BioWare as a technical artist on Neverwinter Nights and MDK2, and served as project director on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

"After what already feels like a lifetime of extraordinary experiences, I have decided to hit the reset button and move on from BioWare," Hudson said in a memo to BioWare employees. "I'll take a much needed break, get perspective on what I really want to do with the next phase of my life, and eventually, take on a new set of challenges.

"Though there's never an easy time to make a change like this, I believe this is the best time for it. The foundation of our new IP in Edmonton is complete, and the team is ready to move forward into pre-production on a title that I think will redefine interactive entertainment. Development for the next Mass Effect game is well underway, with stunning assets and playable builds that prove the team is ready to deliver the best Mass Effect experience to date. And the Dragon Age: Inquisition team is putting the final touches on a truly ambitious title with some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in a game."

BioWare studio general manager Aaryn Flynn said Hudson's departure represented "not an ending, but a new beginning."

"As we say a fond farewell, I know I speak on behalf of the entire studio when I say that we will be forever grateful for Casey's hard work, passion, and everything he has taught us over the years — a methodical dedication to quality, a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie, and putting fans above everything else," Flynn wrote. "But most of all, Casey has challenged every one of us in the studio to be better tomorrow than we were today. It is in that spirit that as we finish Dragon Age: Inquisition, we will continue working on the next Mass Effect game and our new IP project, confident in our goals and progress."

BioWare is currently in development of a new Mass Effect game, which Hudson himself announced as "a completely new" entry in the franchise in 2012. At this year's E3, BioWare teased that new Mass Effect game, as well as a new franchise from BioWare Edmonton which is expected to be announced next week at Gamescom. The EA-owned developer will release Dragon Age: Inquisition in November.