EA CEO Says Dragon Age: The Veilguard Failed to 'Resonate With a Broad Audience,' Gamers Increasingly Want 'Shared-World Features'

EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributes the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to connect with a wider audience. Last week's restructuring of BioWare, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, saw personnel shifts from The Veilguard to other EA projects.

EA's announcement revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard, despite a "high-quality launch" and positive critical reception, only engaged 1.5 million players, significantly below projections. IGN previously documented development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered the game's completion a feat given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

Wilson, in an investor call, suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement," alongside strong narratives, to broaden appeal. He implied that incorporating these elements into The Veilguard might have improved sales. However, this perspective clashes with EA's decision to support BioWare's significant overhaul of Dragon Age, transforming it from a planned multiplayer game into a single-player RPG.

Fan reaction suggests EA may have drawn the wrong conclusions, citing the success of recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. The future of Dragon Age remains uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked BioWare's restructuring (reportedly reducing its size from 200 to under 100 employees) to the need to prioritize high-potential projects. He highlighted the shifting industry landscape and the importance of resource reallocation. This underscores the fact that single-player games represent a small fraction of EA's revenue, which heavily relies (74% in the past year) on live-service titles like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, The Sims, the upcoming Skate, and the anticipated next Battlefield installment.