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 staff to other EA studios (Game Developer reported John Epler, Veilguard's creative director, joined Full Circle's Skate project). However, other developers were laid off.
This followed EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance. EA reported 1.5 million engaged players 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 EA Play).
The combination of EA's announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and confirmed layoffs fueled fan concerns about the series' 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 senior writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard who transitioned to Motive Studio's Iron Man project, shared a message of hope on social media. She acknowledged the challenging past two years but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan expressing grief over Dragon Age's perceived demise, Chee highlighted the power of fan contributions:
"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, embodies the spirit of Dragon Age and fulfills the game's purpose.
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 Dragon Age: Inquisition's sales significantly exceeded EA's internal projections, exceeding 12 million copies.
While EA hasn't declared Dragon Age defunct, the future of the series remains uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed a dedicated team at BioWare is developing Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy. They declined to share specific numbers but assured sufficient staffing.
