EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributed the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to resonate with a broad audience. Following this, EA restructured BioWare, the game's developer, to focus solely on Mass Effect 5, reassigning some Veilguard staff to other EA projects. EA reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard engaged 1.5 million players, significantly below projections, representing a nearly 50% shortfall.
IGN previously documented various development challenges faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered the game's completion a remarkable achievement given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.
During an investor call, Wilson suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to broaden their appeal. He acknowledged the game's high-quality launch and positive reviews but emphasized its insufficient reach in a competitive market. This suggests Wilson believes incorporating shared-world features and deeper engagement could have improved sales, a perspective that clashes with EA's earlier decision to significantly alter Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development path from a live-service model to a single-player RPG.
This interpretation has drawn criticism from fans, who point to the success of recent single-player RPGs like Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 as evidence that EA may have drawn the wrong conclusions. The future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield further elaborated on the BioWare restructuring, noting the reduction in staff from approximately 200 to fewer than 100. He highlighted the shifting industry landscape and the need to prioritize high-potential opportunities, emphasizing the financial performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard as a factor in this decision. It's important to note that single-player games constitute a small fraction of EA's revenue, with live-service titles (74% in the past year) like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims contributing significantly to the company's financial success. Future titles such as the upcoming Skate and the next Battlefield are also expected to incorporate live-service elements.
