Dragon Age: The Veilguard's disappointing sales may signal the end for BioWare's fantasy franchise, according to former lead writer David Gaider. He believes the series' commercial performance, falling short of EA's expectations, has likely sealed its fate.
During Gaider's tenure at BioWare, the Dragon Age project was perpetually at risk of cancellation. "Throughout the entire time I was there, we were always one breath away from the project being shelved," Gaider told PC Gamer. "The thing that happened is that we kept releasing games, and it would sell much better than they thought it should, and it kept surprising them."
Gaider contrasted this with the treatment of the Mass Effect series, which he characterized as EA's "favorite child." Despite potentially not always matching the initial sales figures of Dragon Age titles, Mass Effect was perceived by EA as a more accessible and marketable product. Gaider described it as a "slick, modern RPG" that was easy to promote, whereas Dragon Age was viewed as an "old-fashioned" story-focused RPG. Any success the latter achieved was often dismissed by EA as a "fluke."
Regarding the future of the Dragon Age franchise, Gaider expressed openness to returning, provided he could lead the IP independently of EA and return to its foundational appeal. "I think that'd be an interesting thing to do. To go back to the basics of what made Dragon Age appeal to so many people in the first place. And go somewhere dark and dangerous, and do things that will make people upset. I think that's what I would want to do with it," he stated.
In the wake of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's performance, EA implemented significant layoffs at BioWare, leaving a reduced team to focus on the next Mass Effect installment. This comes amidst broader financial shifts for EA, including its planned transition to a private company through a $55 billion leveraged buyout. Industry analysts speculate that EA may divest some of its studios to manage its substantial debt, with BioWare being a potential candidate for sale.