Summary
Dragon Age: The Veilguardpublisher EA has implied that the game would have performed better as a live-service title. Released in October 2024,Dragon Age: The Veilguardwas the long-awaited follow-up to the 2014 Game of the Year recipientDragon Age: Inquisition.
While longtime fans of the franchise were eager to get their hands on a newDragon Agetitle after a decade,Dragon Age: The Veilguardfailed to meet EA’s sales expectationsby a whopping 50 percent, selling only 1.5 million copies. Reviews for the title were divisive, with some applaudingThe Veilguard’s new characters, gameplay, and graphics and others criticizing its overall story and writing. The game was review-bombed at launch for its supposed “wokeness,” a sentiment still maintained by many in the community. Months after the title’s release, its publisher is offering some thoughts on whyDragon Age: The Veilguardfailed to find a larger audience.
During a recent financial call (viaPC Gamer), EA CEO Andrew Wilson offered some comments regardingThe Veilguard’s less-than-stellar sales, implying that a live-service approach may have led to more success for the recent BioWare RPG. “In order to break beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category,” Wilson said. “Dragon Agehad a high-quality launch and was well-reviewed by critics and those who played; however, it did not resonate with a broad enough audience in this highly competitive market.” In January, it was reported thatEA shares had dropped16 percent, which was largely attributed to the poor sales of bothDragon Age: The VeilguardandEA Sports FC 25.
EA Implies That Dragon Age: The Veilguard Should Have Gone the Live-Service Route
During its lengthy development period,The Veilguardwas primed to feature live service and multiplayer elements. In February 2021, however, this changed, largely due to the success ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderand BioWare’s cancelation of theAnthemreboot.Dragon Age: The Veilguarddropped all live-service elements, pivoting to an entirely single-player experience and one more in line with past entries in the franchise. While Wilson does not directly state that the game failed due to its decision not to take the live-service route, it does sound like there is some regret being felt by the publisher for approving the switch to single-player.
EA recently announced that restructuring would be taking place at BioWare to aid with the development of the nextMass Effecttitle. In the midst of these changes,manyDragon Age: The Veilguarddevelopers were let gofrom the company, including its lead writer, senior systems designer, and producer.The Veilguard’s director, Corinne Busche, announced that she would also be leaving BioWare.
Despite the current shake-up at the company, BioWare executive producer Michael Gamble recently assured fans thatMass Effect 5is still in pre-production, with development of the game progressing smoothly. A release title for the next game in the series has not been announced, but many fans are now concerned that it will contain live-service elements, something that most of the community seems to be against.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
