Dragon Age Fans Reassured: 'It's Yours Now,' Says Ex-BioWare Dev

In the wake of layoffs at BioWare, which saw many key developers of Dragon Age: The Veilguard depart, a former writer on the series has stepped forward to reassure fans. Sheryl Chee, a senior writer who transitioned from BioWare to Motive to work on Iron Man, took to social media to convey a message of hope. Amid the uncertainty and restructuring at BioWare, which now focuses solely on Mass Effect 5, Chee emphasized the enduring spirit of the Dragon Age community. "DA isn't dead because it's yours now," she stated, highlighting the fan-created content such as fiction and art that keeps the series alive beyond its official development.

The layoffs at BioWare followed EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had underperformed, engaging only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter—a figure significantly below EA's expectations. This number might include players using EA's Play Pro subscription service or those who tried the game through the free trial on the EA Play subscription, though specifics were not clarified by EA. Consequently, BioWare has been restructured to concentrate on Mass Effect 5, with some Veilguard developers reassigned to other projects at EA studios, while others were laid off.

The future of the Dragon Age series seems uncertain, with no planned DLC for The Veilguard and BioWare's work on the game concluding with its last major update. Despite this, Chee's words resonate with the community, reminding them that the essence of Dragon Age lies in the stories and connections fans continue to create. "Technically EA/BioWare owns the IP but you can't own an idea, no matter how much they want to," she said, encouraging fans to keep the spirit of the series alive through their creativity and passion.

The Dragon Age saga began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. The latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, took a decade to release. Notably, former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, far exceeding EA's internal projections.

While EA has not declared the Dragon Age franchise dead, the shift in focus to Mass Effect 5 and the changes at BioWare suggest a long wait, if not an indefinite pause, for any new Dragon Age title. Meanwhile, a "core team" at BioWare is diligently working on Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy, ensuring the project is well-staffed and on track.