The Struggles of BioWare: The Uncertain Future of Dragon Age and the State of New Mass Effect

BioWare's Uncertain Future: Dragon Age's Stumble and Mass Effect's Uncertain Path

BioWare's recent struggles cast a shadow over the future of its iconic franchises, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Let's examine the issues.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Disappointing Debut

The highly anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard aimed to revitalize the franchise, but critically and commercially underperformed. A Metacritic score of 3/10 from 7,000 users and sales figures half of projections highlight the game's failure to meet expectations.

Table of Contents

• The Long Road to Dragon Age 4
• Key Departures at BioWare
• Dragon Age 4 Mimicked Mass Effect, But Failed
• Is Dragon Age Dead?
• What About the Next Mass Effect?

The Long and Winding Road to Dragon Age 4

Development of Dragon Age 4 spanned nearly a decade, plagued by setbacks. Initial plans, following Dragon Age: Inquisition's success, envisioned a trilogy releasing between 2019 and 2024. However, resource allocation shifts to Mass Effect: Andromeda (and its subsequent failure), followed by a pivot to the live-service model for Dragon Age (codenamed Joplin), and finally, a return to a single-player focus (codenamed Morrison), significantly delayed the project. The game was eventually released as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf (after a late subtitle change), selling a disappointing 1.5 million copies.

Key Departures Shake BioWare

The Veilguard's poor performance led to significant restructuring at BioWare, including layoffs and departures of key personnel:

• Patrick and Karin Weekes: Veteran writers known for their work on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
• Corinne Bouche: Game director for DA: The Veilguard.
• Cheryl Chi: Responsible for iconic characters in previous Dragon Age games.
• Silvia Feketekuti: Known for her work on characters like Liara T'Soni.
• John Epler: Creative director with a history on Mass Effect and other projects.
• Other notable departures include producers Jennifer Shaver and Daniel Sted, narrative editor Ryan Cormier, and senior product manager Lina Anderson.

The studio's workforce significantly shrunk, raising concerns about its future.

Dragon Age 4's Failed Imitation of Mass Effect

Interviews revealed The Veilguard's design heavily borrowed from Mass Effect 2, particularly its companion system and choice-driven narrative. While some elements, like the final act, succeeded, the game ultimately fell short as both an RPG and a Dragon Age title. The limited world state customization, lack of connection to previous games, simplified character interactions, and superficial treatment of core themes contributed to its failure.

Is Dragon Age Dead?

EA's leadership hinted that a live-service model might have been more successful for The Veilguard. The absence of Dragon Age and Mass Effect from EA's Q3 2024 financial reports suggests a shift in priorities towards more profitable ventures. While the series isn't officially cancelled, its future remains uncertain. Former writer Cheryl Chi aptly summarized the situation: Dragon Age's spirit lives on through fans, despite EA's control over its future.

The Next Mass Effect: A Glimmer of Hope?

Mass Effect 5, announced in 2020, is currently in pre-production with a smaller team. While details are scarce, it aims for photorealism and will likely continue the storyline of the original trilogy. However, given BioWare's current state, a release before 2027 seems unlikely. The success of Mass Effect 5 hinges on avoiding the pitfalls that plagued The Veilguard.

The future of BioWare and its flagship RPGs remains uncertain. The success of Mass Effect 5 and any potential revival of Dragon Age will depend on navigating the challenges of studio restructuring, shifting industry trends, and delivering compelling narratives that live up to the legacy of these beloved franchises.