Dragon Age's Future Assured, Says Ex-BioWare Dev

Following layoffs at BioWare impacting key Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers, a former series writer offered reassurance to fans, stating, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

This week's EA restructuring prioritized Mass Effect 5, reassigning some Veilguard personnel to other EA studios. Game Developer reported that John Epler, Veilguard's creative director, transitioned to Full Circle's Skate project. However, other team members faced layoffs.

This followed EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance, reporting only 1.5 million engaged players during the recent financial quarter—significantly below projections (nearly 50% less). Importantly, EA didn't specify if this figure represented unit sales or included EA Play Pro subscribers and free trial participants.

Regardless, the announcement, BioWare restructuring, and layoffs fueled fan concerns about the Dragon Age franchise's future. No DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare's work concluded last week with what appeared to be a final major update.

However, Sheryl Chee, a former senior writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard (now working on Iron Man at Motive), shared a message of hope on social media. She acknowledged the challenges of the past two years but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan mourning Dragon Age's demise, Chee highlighted the franchise's enduring legacy within the fan community:

"But DA isn't dead. There's fic. There's art. There's the connections we made through the games and because of the games. Technically EA/BioWare owns the IP but you can't own an idea, no matter how much they want to. DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

She further explained that fan-created content, such as AU stories, demonstrates the franchise's continued impact and fulfills its purpose.

The Dragon Age series, launched with 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, continued with Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). The Veilguard, released a decade later, marked a significant gap in the series' timeline.

In September, former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, exceeding EA's internal projections.

While EA hasn't officially declared Dragon Age dead, the future of the franchise remains uncertain given BioWare's restructuring and complete focus on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed that a dedicated team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is developing Mass Effect 5. They refrained from disclosing specific team sizes but assured that the studio is adequately staffed for the project.