Former BioWare developers have weighed in on the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA CEO Andrew Wilson's subsequent comments. Wilson attributed the game's failure to not resonate with a broad enough audience, a statement following EA's restructuring of BioWare to focus solely on Mass Effect 5. This restructuring included staff transfers and layoffs, impacting those who worked on The Veilguard. EA reported only 1.5 million players engaged with the game, significantly below projections.
The game's troubled development, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel, has been well-documented. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed. Wilson suggested that future BioWare RPGs require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to achieve broader appeal. He praised the game's quality but acknowledged its failure to reach a wider audience in a competitive market.
Many interpreted Wilson's comments as suggesting that incorporating multiplayer elements would have boosted sales. However, The Veilguard's development underwent a significant reboot, shifting from a planned multiplayer game to a single-player RPG.
Former BioWare employees took to social media to express their opinions. David Gaider, former narrative lead on Dragon Age, criticized EA's takeaway from The Veilguard's performance, suggesting that simply adding live-service elements is short-sighted. He argued that EA should learn from Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3, focusing on the core strengths of the Dragon Age franchise that previously drove strong sales.
Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on Dragon Age, expressed his strong disagreement with the idea of fundamentally altering a successful single-player IP into a purely multiplayer experience, suggesting he would have resigned if faced with such a demand.
The situation leaves the future of Dragon Age uncertain, with BioWare now fully committed to Mass Effect 5. EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked The Veilguard's underperformance to the evolving industry landscape, emphasizing the company's decision to reallocate resources to its most promising projects. This reallocation reportedly reduced BioWare's staff from 200 to less than 100.
