Former BioWare Exec Criticizes EA's Lack of Support for Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Mark Darrah, former executive producer of the Dragon Age series, expressed concerns that EA and BioWare failed to adequately support his team during the initial development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

In a recent YouTube video, the former BioWare developer reflected on his experience with the iconic fantasy RPG franchise, focusing on 2017, which he described as “the most pivotal year in BioWare’s history.” Darrah discussed decisions impacting the early stages of last year’s Dragon Age title and how a shift in priorities tied to the final development phase of Mass Effect: Andromeda affected his team.

In late 2016, Darrah was reassigned to assist with the final development of Mass Effect: Andromeda. He recalled that the Dragon Age team felt “neglected” and lacked sufficient support from BioWare or EA. The plan was for Darrah to help complete Mass Effect, freeing up resources for Dragon Age, but this strategy fell short.

“This marked the first instance of leadership disruption, where a project leader was pulled to another project while their original team continued without them,” Darrah explained. “For Mass Effect: Andromeda, the impact on Dragon Age was minimal and brief, but it set a risky precedent. Running a project without its core leadership is highly problematic.”

Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in March 2017 to a lukewarm reception, according to Darrah. During this period, BioWare underwent a structural shift, reporting to new EA leadership with an intense focus on its projects. Darrah described this transition as significant, noting that the new executives showed little interest in continuing Mass Effect after its troubled launch. However, he felt Dragon Age still lacked the necessary support even after Andromeda’s release.

The Best BioWare RPGs

Pick a winner

Darrah raised his concerns with EA CEO Andrew Wilson and former executive Patrick Söderlund, who assured him of Dragon Age’s priority within the company. Despite limited resources allocated in the summer of 2017, BioWare staff learned abruptly that veteran Casey Hudson would return to the studio, a decision made without consulting senior team members.

“As the second most senior person at BioWare, I was completely excluded from the process of Casey’s rehiring,” Darrah said. “While my involvement might not have changed the outcome, the lack of consultation showed a significant lack of respect for someone at my level.”

Darrah anticipated BioWare’s focus would shift to Anthem. Despite assurances from EA that Dragon Age would receive proper attention, he felt otherwise.

“As we now know, that commitment wasn’t fulfilled,” he said.

EA’s focus on Anthem intensified until its challenging launch in 2019, while Darrah felt his trust in the company was repeatedly undermined. Resources were consistently diverted from what would become Dragon Age: The Veilguard through 2019, resulting in “fundamental” changes to the project’s direction.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched in late 2024 as BioWare’s latest major fantasy RPG. Despite earning critical praise (we awarded it a 9/10 in our review), EA deemed its launch underwhelming, stating in February that it failed to “connect with a wide enough audience.” Former BioWare developers contested this, with some urging EA to take inspiration from Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios.

In January of this year, many Dragon Age developers were laid off as BioWare pivoted its focus to Mass Effect 5.