EA CEO Andrew Wilson has shed light on the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, noting that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement comes on the heels of EA's decision to restructure Dragon Age developer BioWare, shifting its focus exclusively to Mass Effect 5. This restructuring has led to some team members who worked on The Veilguard being reassigned to other projects within EA's studios.
The move follows EA's revelation that Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the eagerly awaited action RPG, did not meet the company's sales expectations. According to EA, the game "engaged" 1.5 million players in the recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of their projections.
IGN has documented various development challenges faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of several key project leads at different phases. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted that BioWare staff considered it a miracle that the game was released at all, given EA's initial push for a live-service model followed by a reversal of this strategy.
During an investor-focused financial call, Wilson emphasized the need for role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside high-quality narratives to attract a wider audience. He stated, "In order to break out beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category."
Wilson acknowledged that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a high-quality launch and received positive reviews from critics and players alike. However, he pointed out that it did not capture a broad enough audience in the highly competitive gaming market. This suggests that the inclusion of "shared-world features" and "deeper engagement" might have boosted its sales. Yet, this stance seems contradictory given EA's initial support for BioWare's decision to pivot Dragon Age from a multiplayer game with live-service elements to a single-player RPG, as reported by IGN.
The gaming community has expressed concern that EA may be drawing the wrong conclusions from Dragon Age: The Veilguard's performance, especially in light of the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. Fans fear that this might spell the end for Dragon Age, at least in the near future. This raises questions about the future of Mass Effect 5.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the company's strategic shift to focus BioWare's efforts on Mass Effect 5, which reportedly involved reducing the studio's workforce from 200 to less than 100 employees. He remarked, "Historically, blockbuster storytelling has been the primary way our industry bought beloved IP to players. The game's financial performance highlights the evolving industry landscape and reinforces the importance of our actions to reallocate resources towards our most significant and highest potential opportunities."
It's important to note that single-player games constitute only a small fraction of EA's total revenue. The company's financial backbone is primarily supported by live service games, which accounted for 74% of their revenue over the last year. Titles like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims are major contributors, and upcoming releases like Skate and the next Battlefield are expected to follow the live service model.
