The Struggles of BioWare: The Uncertain Future of Dragon Age and the State of New Mass Effect

BioWare, once a titan in the realm of RPGs, now faces a challenging future, particularly with its flagship series, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. The much-anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard aimed to reclaim the glory of BioWare's storytelling prowess. However, it has not met expectations, receiving a dismal 3 out of 10 rating from 7,000 players on Metacritic and achieving sales that were half of what Electronic Arts (EA) projected. This has cast a shadow over the future of BioWare's RPG projects, including the next installment of Mass Effect.

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The Long Road to Dragon Age 4

The journey to Dragon Age 4, now known as The Veilguard, spanned nearly a decade. Initially, following the success of Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare planned an ambitious roadmap with releases scheduled for 2019-2020, 2021-2022, and 2023-2024, aiming to elevate Dragon Age to the level of The Elder Scrolls. However, the project faced numerous setbacks. In 2016, resources were shifted to Mass Effect: Andromeda, which ultimately underperformed, leading to the disbandment of BioWare Montreal and a focus on Anthem. This left Dragon Age 4 in limbo, managed by a skeleton crew.

In 2017, EA attempted to pivot Dragon Age towards a live-service model, codenamed Joplin, inspired by games like Destiny. This direction was abandoned after Anthem's failure, and BioWare reverted to a single-player focus, renaming the project Morrison. Despite these shifts, development remained slow. By 2022, the game was officially announced as Dreadwolf, but closer to release, the subtitle changed to The Veilguard to emphasize the protagonist's team over Fen'Harel.

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Launched on October 31, 2024, The Veilguard received positive critical reviews but only managed to sell 1.5 million copies, falling short of expectations.

Key Departures at BioWare

Following The Veilguard's poor performance, EA announced a significant restructuring at BioWare. Many employees were either reassigned or laid off, and several key figures left the company. Among them were veteran writers Patrick and Karin Weekes, who contributed to iconic characters across the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. Game director Corinne Bouche, who steered The Veilguard, also departed to develop a new RPG. Other notable exits included writers Cheryl Chi and Silvia Feketekuti, and creative director John Epler, who moved to other studios.

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The workforce at BioWare was reduced from 200 to fewer than 100 employees, with some developers reassigned to other EA projects and a smaller team continuing work on the next Mass Effect.

Dragon Age 4 Tried to Mimic Mass Effect but Failed

The Veilguard's design drew heavily from Mass Effect 2, focusing on companion relationships and player choices that significantly impact the game's outcome. However, despite these efforts, the game failed to capture the essence of both Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The world state customization was limited, and the narrative avoided ties to previous games, which diminished the impact of familiar characters and the series' traditional complexity. As a result, The Veilguard was criticized for its linearity and superficial handling of themes, ultimately failing as an RPG and a Dragon Age title.

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Is Dragon Age Dead?

EA's leadership suggested that The Veilguard might have fared better as a live-service game, indicating a shift towards more profitable ventures. Financial reports in Q3 2024 highlighted successes in sports titles and investments in Battlefield Labs, with no mention of Dragon Age or Mass Effect. While former BioWare staff expressed interest in expanding the Dragon Age universe, their departures raise questions about the series' future. Nonetheless, the community's passion keeps the spirit of Dragon Age alive.

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What About the Next Mass Effect?

Mass Effect 5, announced in 2020, is currently in pre-production with a focus on photorealism. Under the leadership of Michael Gamble, and with a team including designer Dusty Everman and art director Derek Watts, the game aims to continue the storyline from the original trilogy. However, with the studio's recent restructuring and the long development cycles, a release before 2027 seems unlikely. Fans hope that Mass Effect 5 will avoid the pitfalls that plagued The Veilguard.

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