Ex-BioWare Dev Confirms Dragon Age's Future

After BioWare's recent layoffs resulted in the departure of many key developers from Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a former writer for the series has offered reassurance to fans, stating: "DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

This week, EA restructured BioWare to focus exclusively on Mass Effect 5. While some staff from Dragon Age: The Veilguard were reassigned to projects at other EA studios—Game Developer reported that creative director John Epler was moved to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding title, Skate—others confirmed they were laid off and are now looking for new positions.

The move followed EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed to meet the company's sales expectations for the long-awaited action RPG. EA noted that Dragon Age "engaged" 1.5 million players during the last financial quarter, falling nearly 50% short of internal projections.

It is important to note that EA did not specify whether the 1.5 million figure represents unit sales, as the game was also available through EA's Play Pro subscription service. Additionally, it remains unclear whether EA included users who accessed a free trial via the more affordable EA Play subscription in that total.

Regardless, the combination of EA’s announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and confirmation of layoffs has fostered a perception within the Dragon Age community that the series is effectively finished. No DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare’s development on the game concluded last week with what appears to have been its final major update.

In response, Dragon Age: The Veilguard senior writer Sheryl Chee, who transitioned from BioWare to work on Iron Man at Motive, took to social media to share a message of hope.

"I'm now with Motive," Chee wrote. "It's been a hard two years watching my team gradually diminish while pushing forward. Still, I remain employed, and for that I'm grateful."

When a fan expressed sadness over Dragon Age’s apparent demise, Chee responded by emphasizing that the series now belongs to its fans, who can keep its spirit alive through their own creative contributions.

“A thoughtful French woman shared a powerful quote from Camus with me today: ‘In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.’ (After all, who embodies resistance like the French?) We are navigating difficult times. There is a lot happening, everywhere…

“But DA isn't dead. There is fan fiction. There is artwork. There are the connections we’ve built through and because of these games. Legally, EA/BioWare owns the intellectual property, but an idea can never be truly owned, no matter how much they might wish to.

“DA isn't dead because it's yours now.”

She added: “Someone just reposted my message, saying they plan to write an expansive alternate universe story—that’s exactly what I mean. If Dragon Age has inspired you to create something, if it ignites that invincible summer within you, then it has fulfilled its purpose. It has been my greatest honor to be part of that journey.”

The Dragon Age series launched in 2010 with Dragon Age: Origins, followed a year later by Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age: Inquisition arrived three years after that, in 2014. However, fans waited a full decade for the next installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

In September, former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2020, disclosed that Dragon Age Inquisition sold more than 12 million copies, significantly surpassing EA's internal sales forecasts.

While EA has not officially declared the Dragon Age series discontinued, the prospects of a new game appear slim given BioWare's restructuring and its renewed focus on Mass Effect 5. Regarding Mass Effect, EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare is developing the next title under the guidance of veterans from the original trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley. “Although we are not disclosing team size, the studio is appropriately staffed with the right talent in the right roles to advance Mass Effect at this stage of development,” an EA representative told IGN.