Former BioWare Dev Reassures: 'Dragon Age Isn't Dead, It's Yours Now'

In the wake of significant layoffs at BioWare, which included several key developers behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, former series writer Sheryl Chee has reached out to fans to reassure them about the future of the beloved franchise. Amidst EA's restructuring of BioWare to solely focus on Mass Effect 5, and the reassignment of some Veilguard team members to other EA projects, Chee's message offers a glimmer of hope to the Dragon Age community.

EA's recent announcement highlighted that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had not met the company's expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during the last financial quarter—a figure that fell short of projections by nearly 50%. It remains unclear whether this number reflects unit sales or includes players who accessed the game through EA's Play Pro and EA Play subscription services, which offered a free trial.

The combination of EA's announcement, the studio's restructuring, and the layoffs has led many in the Dragon Age fandom to fear for the series' future. With no DLC planned for The Veilguard and BioWare's work on the game concluding with its last major update, the situation seemed dire. However, Chee, who has transitioned to work on Iron Man at Motive, took to social media to share her perspective and offer encouragement.

Reflecting on the challenges faced by her team over the past two years, Chee expressed gratitude for her continued employment but emphasized the resilience of the Dragon Age community. In response to a fan's concern about the series' demise, she shared an inspiring quote from Camus and asserted that Dragon Age lives on through the creativity and passion of its fans. "DA isn't dead because it's yours now," Chee stated, highlighting the fan-created content such as fan fiction and art that keeps the spirit of the series alive.

Chee's message resonated with fans, with one expressing their intent to write a large alternate universe story inspired by Dragon Age. This, Chee noted, is the essence of what the series has achieved—sparking creativity and connection among its community.

The Dragon Age series, which began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014, saw its latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released after a decade-long wait. Former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition had sold over 12 million copies, significantly surpassing EA's internal projections.

While EA has not declared the Dragon Age series dead, the current focus on Mass Effect 5 and the changes at BioWare suggest that a new Dragon Age game may not be on the horizon anytime soon. Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a dedicated team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is actively developing the next Mass Effect game, indicating a strong commitment to that franchise.