Dragon Age creator David Gaider has expressed significant doubt about the future of the beloved fantasy RPG series, stating he believes it is "unlikely" to see another installment under the current ownership of EA. This sentiment follows the underperformance of 2024's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which reportedly fell short of publisher expectations.
Gaider, who departed BioWare in 2016, recalled the studio's historical precariousness, noting that projects were often "one breath away from being shelved." He suggested that the series' continuation was frequently dependent on games exceeding sales forecasts, a pattern that appears to have been broken by The Veilguard. The publisher has previously pointed to a lack of live-service elements as a contributing factor to the game's commercial results, a justification Gaider finds questionable given the similar fate of BioWare's live-service title, Anthem.
Despite his pessimism regarding the franchise's current trajectory, Gaider indicated a potential willingness to revisit Dragon Age if an unexpected opportunity arose. He explained that in the past, he felt he had exhausted his narrative contributions to the series after Dragon Age: Inquisition, believing it was time for "fresher voices." However, over a decade later, Gaider suggested he might have new ideas.
"If, out of some weird alignment of the stars, somebody handed the Dragon Age franchise back to me and said, 'Breathe the life back into this baby', that'd be a tough one, but I think that'd be an interesting thing to do," Gaider stated. He envisions a return to the series' core appeal, exploring a "dark and dangerous" direction with "things that will make people upset."
Meanwhile, BioWare is focused on Mass Effect 5. The studio confirmed last year that a significant portion of its staff was reassigned following The Veilguard's release, leaving a smaller team to concentrate on the next Mass Effect installment. The continued silence surrounding Mass Effect 5 has been attributed by franchise boss Mike Gamble to the team being "Just busy workin'." The resilience of the Mass Effect series remains to be seen, especially as EA navigates its acquisition by investors.