Former BioWare developers have shared their insights on *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* and the recent remarks from EA CEO Andrew Wilson regarding its perceived underperformance. During a financial call, Wilson stated that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* did not "resonate with a broad enough audience," which led to EA restructuring BioWare to focus solely on *Mass Effect 5*. This restructuring resulted in some staff being reassigned to other EA projects, while others faced layoffs.
EA had anticipated that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* would engage 3 million players, but the game only managed to attract 1.5 million during its recent financial quarter, falling short by nearly 50%. IGN has documented the game's development challenges, including layoffs, the departure of several project leads, and a significant shift in the game's direction. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered it a miracle that the game was released at all, given EA's initial push for a live-service model and subsequent reversal.
Wilson emphasized the need for BioWare's role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to meet EA's expectations. He suggested that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* might have achieved broader success with these elements. However, the game's development saw a pivot from a multiplayer framework to a single-player RPG, a change backed by EA.
Former BioWare staff, including David Gaider and Mike Laidlaw, have voiced their opinions on social media. Gaider, who crafted the *Dragon Age* setting and served as its narrative lead before departing in 2016, criticized EA's takeaway that the game should have been a live service. He argued that EA should focus on what made *Dragon Age* successful in the past, drawing inspiration from the success of *Baldur's Gate 3*, which, despite having co-op, remains primarily a single-player experience.
Gaider advised EA to "double down" on the elements that resonated with fans at the franchise's peak, suggesting that the audience for such a game still exists. Mike Laidlaw, now at Yellow Brick Games, expressed strong opposition to turning a beloved single-player IP into a multiplayer game, stating he would quit if faced with such a demand.
The current situation suggests that *Dragon Age* may be on hold, with BioWare now concentrating on *Mass Effect 5*, led by series veterans. EA CFO Stuart Canfield highlighted the industry's shift away from traditional blockbuster storytelling, emphasizing the need to reallocate resources to high-potential projects. This restructuring has reduced BioWare's workforce from 200 to less than 100 employees.
