Dragon Age Co-Creator Advises EA: Emulate Larian

Former BioWare developers have criticized EA's assessment of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance and subsequent restructuring of BioWare. EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributed the game's failure to a lack of broad appeal, suggesting the need for "shared-world features and deeper engagement" to expand its audience. This statement, however, has been met with resistance from former BioWare staff.

EA's financial report revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard engaged only 1.5 million players, significantly below projections. This followed previous reports detailing development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier highlighted BioWare's internal belief that the game's completion was a "miracle" given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

David Gaider, former narrative lead on Dragon Age, argued that EA's conclusion—that the game should have been live-service—is short-sighted. He emphasized that successful games, regardless of their "woke" content, exist across the spectrum, suggesting EA should focus on the core strengths of the Dragon Age franchise. He urged EA to emulate Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3, a predominantly single-player RPG with optional multiplayer, thereby capitalizing on the existing fanbase's preference.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on Dragon Age, expressed a more forceful dissent, stating he would resign if pressured to transform a beloved single-player IP into a purely multiplayer experience. He highlighted the inherent risk of fundamentally altering the core DNA of a successful franchise to cater to perceived market demands.

The outcome of these events is the apparent demise of the Dragon Age franchise, with BioWare now fully committed to Mass Effect 5. EA's CFO, Stuart Canfield, acknowledged the changing industry landscape and the need to prioritize high-potential projects, a decision that resulted in significant layoffs at BioWare. The restructuring reduced the studio's size from approximately 200 employees to less than 100.