EA CEO: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Misses Broad Appeal, Gamers Crave Shared-World Features

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has recently addressed the disappointing financial performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, stating that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement came after EA announced a restructuring at BioWare, the developer behind Dragon Age, to focus solely on the upcoming Mass Effect 5. As a result of this shift, some team members who worked on The Veilguard have been reassigned to other projects within EA studios.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard engaged 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell short of EA's projections by nearly 50%. The game's development was fraught with challenges, including layoffs, the departure of several project leads, and a significant pivot from a live-service model to a single-player RPG, as detailed by IGN and Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier. Schreier noted that BioWare staff considered it a miracle that the game was released in a complete state after EA's initial push for a live-service format and subsequent reversal.

In a recent financial call aimed at investors, Wilson emphasized the need for EA's role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives." He suggested that these elements are crucial for reaching a wider audience in the competitive gaming market. Wilson acknowledged that while Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a high-quality launch and received positive reviews, it did not attract the broad audience EA had hoped for.

Wilson's comments imply that integrating shared-world features and deeper engagement could have potentially boosted the game's sales. However, this stance seems at odds with EA's earlier decision to support BioWare's shift from a multiplayer-focused game to a single-player RPG. Fans have expressed frustration, arguing that EA has drawn the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance, especially in light of the success of other recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3.

The future of Dragon Age appears uncertain, with EA's focus now firmly on Mass Effect 5. EA CFO Stuart Canfield highlighted the company's decision to streamline BioWare, reducing its staff from 200 to less than 100, as a strategic move to concentrate resources on high-potential projects. Canfield noted that while blockbuster storytelling has traditionally been a key method for bringing beloved IPs to players, the industry landscape is evolving, necessitating a reallocation of resources.

It's important to contextualize EA's broader business strategy, where single-player games represent only a small fraction of the company's revenue. The majority of EA's income over the past year (74%) has come from live service games, with titles like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims driving significant earnings. Upcoming titles such as Skate and the next Battlefield are also expected to follow the live service model, further underscoring EA's strategic direction.