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 Dragon Age: The Veilguard staff to other EA studios (Game Developer reported creative director John Epler's move to Full Circle's Skate project). However, other developers confirmed layoffs.
This followed EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance, reporting only 1.5 million players engaged during the recent financial quarter—significantly below projections (almost 50% less). Importantly, EA didn't specify if this figure represented unit sales, considering the game's availability through EA Play Pro and a potential free trial via the base EA Play subscription.
Regardless, the announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and confirmed layoffs fueled fan concerns about the series' future. No DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare concluded its work on the game last week with what appeared to be its final major update.
However, Sheryl Chee, a senior writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard who transitioned to Motive Studio to work on Iron Man, offered a message of hope on social media. She acknowledged the challenging past two years but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan mourning the series' demise, Chee highlighted the fan community's power:
"DA isn't dead. There's fan fiction. There's fan 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 creations inspired by the game demonstrate its enduring impact, stating that if Dragon Age has inspired creative endeavors, "then it's done its job, and it has been my greatest honor to have been a part of that."
The Dragon Age franchise began with 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, followed by Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). The latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, arrived a decade later. 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 explicitly declared Dragon Age dead, the future of the series seems uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5 and the events surrounding The Veilguard. Regarding Mass Effect, EA confirmed a dedicated team at BioWare is developing Mass Effect 5, led by veterans of the original trilogy. EA assured IGN that the studio is adequately staffed for this project.
