Dragon Age Co-Creator Urges EA to Emulate Baldur’s Gate 3's Larian

Former BioWare developers have shared their perspectives on Dragon Age: The Veilguard following recent comments from EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who stated that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This came after EA announced a restructuring of BioWare to focus solely on Mass Effect 5, resulting in some staff being reassigned to other projects within EA and others being laid off. This decision was prompted by Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperforming, with only 1.5 million players engaged during the recent financial quarter, a figure nearly 50% below EA's projections.

IGN has documented the challenges faced during the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, it was a miracle the game was released at all, given EA's push for a live-service model that was later abandoned. 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 for success.

Wilson suggested that the game's lack of these features may have limited its appeal in a competitive market. However, IGN reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard underwent a significant development reboot, shifting from a multiplayer concept to a single-player RPG. This change was backed by EA, despite initial plans for a live-service model.

In response, former BioWare staff members have taken to social media to voice their opinions. David Gaider, the creator of the Dragon Age setting and former narrative lead, criticized EA's takeaway from The Veilguard's performance, arguing that the focus on live-service elements as a solution is shortsighted. Gaider, now at Summerfall Studios, suggested EA should emulate the success of Baldur's Gate 3 by focusing on what Dragon Age does best, pointing out that the audience for a well-crafted single-player RPG is still there.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on Dragon Age and now at Yellow Brick Games, echoed Gaider's sentiments, stating he would quit if forced to transform a beloved single-player game into a purely multiplayer experience. Laidlaw's comments underscored the frustration with EA's approach, hinting at previous demands to alter the game's core DNA.

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 shift in industry trends and the necessity to reallocate resources to high-potential projects, which has led to significant downsizing at BioWare, reducing the studio from 200 to less than 100 employees.