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 during the recent quarter – significantly below projections (almost 50% less). It's unclear if this figure represents unit sales, includes EA Play Pro subscribers, or accounts for free trial players.
Regardless, the announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and layoffs fueled fan concerns about the franchise's future. The Veilguard lacks planned DLC, and BioWare's involvement concluded last week with what appeared to be its final major update.
Sheryl Chee, a senior writer on Dragon Age: The Veilguard who transitioned to Motive Studio's Iron Man project, shared a message of hope on social media. Acknowledging the difficult past two years and team reductions, she emphasized her continued employment. Responding to fan anxieties 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, inspired by the series, proves its enduring impact.
The Dragon Age series began with 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, followed by Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). The Veilguard, released a decade later, faced significant challenges.
In September, former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah revealed Dragon Age: Inquisition's sales exceeded EA's internal projections by a significant margin (over 12 million copies sold).
While EA hasn't explicitly declared Dragon Age defunct, the future of the franchise remains uncertain given BioWare's current focus on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed a dedicated team is developing Mass Effect 5, led by veterans from the original trilogy, stating they have sufficient personnel.
