Dragon Age Not Dead, Says Ex-BioWare Dev: 'It's Yours Now'

Following recent layoffs at BioWare, which resulted in the departure of many key developers involved with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, former series writer Sheryl Chee has stepped forward to reassure fans, stating, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." This week, EA announced a significant restructuring of BioWare, shifting its focus exclusively to Mass Effect 5. As a result, some developers who worked on Dragon Age: The Veilguard have been reassigned to other EA projects, such as John Epler, the game's creative director, who has joined Full Circle to work on the upcoming skateboarding game Skate. Meanwhile, others have been laid off and are currently seeking new employment opportunities.

EA's decision comes in the wake of Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperforming against the company's expectations. The game reportedly engaged 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter, a figure significantly lower than EA's projections by nearly 50%. It remains unclear whether this number reflects unit sales, as Dragon Age: The Veilguard was also accessible through EA's Play Pro subscription service. Additionally, there's ambiguity regarding whether a free trial available through the cheaper EA Play subscription is included in the reported engagement numbers.

The combination of EA's announcement, the restructuring of BioWare, and the confirmation of layoffs has led to a widespread sentiment among the Dragon Age fanbase that the series may be on its last legs. There are no plans for DLC for The Veilguard, and BioWare's involvement with the game concluded with its final major update last week.

Amidst these developments, Sheryl Chee, who has transitioned from BioWare to work on Iron Man at Motive, shared a message of hope on social media. Reflecting on the challenges of the past two years and the gradual reduction of her team, Chee remains optimistic. In response to a fan's concern about the future of Dragon Age, she emphasized the enduring legacy of the series through the community's contributions. "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," Chee stated, affirming that the spirit of Dragon Age lives on through its fans.

Encouraged by a fan's intention to create a large alternate universe story, Chee reiterated the impact of Dragon Age on its community, saying, "If DA has inspired you to do something, if it sparks that Invincible summer, then it's done its job, and it has been my greatest honor to have been a part of that."

The Dragon Age series, which began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011 and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, saw its latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released after a decade-long wait. Mark Darrah, former executive producer of Dragon Age who left BioWare in 2020, disclosed that Dragon Age: Inquisition had exceeded EA's sales expectations, selling over 12 million copies.

Despite these historical successes, the future of the Dragon Age series remains uncertain, with BioWare now fully focused on Mass Effect 5. EA has confirmed that a dedicated team, including veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is working on the next installment under the guidance of Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, Parrish Ley, and others. While EA has not provided specific numbers, it assures that the studio has the appropriate team size and roles for the current stage of Mass Effect development.