Dragon Age Co-Creator Urges EA to Emulate Baldur’s Gate 3's Larian Studios

Former BioWare developers have shared their insights on *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* and the recent remarks made by EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, regarding its underwhelming performance. During a financial call, Wilson stated that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* did not "resonate with a broad enough audience," highlighting a significant shortfall in the game's reach.

Following the game's release, EA restructured BioWare to exclusively focus on *Mass Effect 5*. This shift resulted in some *The Veilguard* developers being reassigned to other EA projects, while others faced layoffs. This decision came after EA disclosed that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* engaged only 1.5 million players in its recent financial quarter, a number that fell short by nearly 50% of the company's expectations.

IGN has documented several development hurdles for *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, including layoffs, the departure of key project leads, and significant shifts in the game's direction. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that the game was released at all, given EA's initial push for a live-service model that was later abandoned.

Wilson emphasized that for BioWare's RPGs to achieve greater success, they must incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives." He suggested that the lack of these elements in *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* may have limited its appeal in a competitive market, despite the game receiving positive reviews from critics and players.

The response from former BioWare developers has been vocal on social media. David Gaider, the original creator of the Dragon Age setting and former narrative lead, criticized EA's focus on live-service as a potential solution. He argued that EA should instead focus on what made Dragon Age successful in the past, drawing inspiration from the success of *Baldur's Gate 3*, which emphasizes a robust single-player experience with optional multiplayer features.

Gaider advised EA to recognize the deep affection fans have for the Dragon Age series and to enhance the elements that resonated most with its audience. He believes the audience is still eager for a game that prioritizes storytelling and single-player engagement.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on Dragon Age and now with Yellow Brick Games, expressed strong opposition to the idea of transforming a beloved single-player IP into a purely multiplayer game. He suggested that such a fundamental change could be detrimental to the essence of what fans love about the series, to the point where he might consider leaving a job that demanded such a shift.

The current situation indicates that the Dragon Age series might be on hold, with BioWare now concentrating its efforts on *Mass Effect 5*. This new project is being led by experienced team members, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley. EA's CFO, Stuart Canfield, justified the restructuring by emphasizing the need to reallocate resources to high-potential projects in an evolving industry landscape.