Following layoffs at BioWare impacting key Dragon Age: The Veilguard developers, a former 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, Veilguard's creative director, joined Full Circle's Skate project). However, other developers were laid off.
This followed EA's announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underperformance, reporting 1.5 million engaged players—significantly below projections. It's unclear if this figure represents unit sales, includes EA Play Pro subscribers, or accounts for a free trial offered through EA Play.
Regardless, the announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and layoffs fueled concerns within the Dragon Age fanbase about the franchise's future. No DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare's work concluded last week with what appeared to be a final major update.
Sheryl Chee, a senior writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard 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 concern about Dragon Age's demise, she highlighted the power of fan contributions:
"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 explained that fan-created content, such as AU stories, embodies the spirit of Dragon Age and fulfills its purpose.
Dragon Age's history includes 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, 2011's Dragon Age 2, and 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Veilguard, released a decade after Inquisition, marked a significant gap in the series' timeline. Mark Darrah, former Dragon Age executive producer, revealed in September that Dragon Age: Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, exceeding EA's internal projections.
While EA hasn't officially declared Dragon Age dead, the future of the franchise remains uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed a dedicated team at BioWare is developing Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy. They refrained from disclosing specific team sizes but assured sufficient personnel are in place.
