As Dragon Age Fans Fear the Death of the Series, One Former BioWare Developer Offers Words of Reassurance: 'Dragon Age Isn't Dead Because It's Yours Now'

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

EA's restructuring of BioWare to prioritize Mass Effect 5 resulted in some Dreadwolf team members transferring to other EA studios, while others faced layoffs. This followed EA's announcement of Dreadwolf's underperformance, reporting only 1.5 million engaged players, significantly below projections. The exact methodology for calculating this figure (including potential inclusion of subscription services and free trials) remains unclear.

The combination of EA's announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and the layoffs fueled concerns within the Dragon Age community about the franchise's future. With no planned DLC for Dreadwolf and development concluding, the series appeared to many as defunct.

However, Sheryl Chee, a former senior writer on Dreadwolf who transitioned to Motive Studios to work on Iron Man, shared a message of hope on social media. She acknowledged the challenges of the past two years but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan's lament, she declared that the franchise's future rests with the 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."

Chee further explained that fan-created content, such as fanfiction and artwork, demonstrates the enduring power of the Dragon Age universe. She highlighted that if the series inspires creative endeavors, it has fulfilled its purpose.

The Dragon Age series, which started with 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, followed by Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), experienced a significant gap before Dreadwolf's release. In contrast to Dreadwolf's performance, former producer Mark Darrah revealed that Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, exceeding EA's internal projections.

While EA hasn't officially declared Dragon Age dead, the future of the series remains uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5. EA assures that Mass Effect 5 development is progressing with a sufficient team of experienced developers.