Dragon Age Series Revival Amidst Fan Concerns

Following layoffs at BioWare impacting key Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers, a former series writer offered reassurance to fans, stating, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

This week's EA restructuring prioritized Mass Effect 5, reassigning some Veilguard staff to other EA studios (Game Developer reported John Epler's move to Full Circle's Skate project). However, other developers were laid off. This followed EA's announcement of Veilguard's underperformance, reporting only 1.5 million player engagements during the recent financial quarter—significantly below projections (a nearly 50% shortfall).

It's unclear whether this figure represents unit sales or includes EA Play Pro subscriptions and free trials. Regardless, the announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and confirmed layoffs fueled fan concerns about the Dragon Age franchise's future. The Veilguard lacks planned DLC, and BioWare's work concluded last week with what appeared to be its final major update.

Sheryl Chee, a senior writer previously with BioWare (now at Motive working on Iron Man), shared a message of hope on social media: She acknowledged the challenging two years and team reductions but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan expressing grief over Dragon Age's perceived demise, Chee highlighted the franchise's enduring connection with its fans:

"But 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. DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

She further emphasized fan creativity as a continuation of the Dragon Age legacy.

The Dragon Age series, launched in 2010 with Dragon Age: Origins, followed by Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), saw a significant gap before The Veilguard's release. In September, former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed Dragon Age: Inquisition's sales significantly exceeded EA's internal projections, exceeding 12 million copies.

While EA hasn't declared Dragon Age defunct, the future of the franchise remains uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5. EA assured IGN that a dedicated team is developing Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy, stating they have "the right number of people in the right roles."