Following the recent layoffs at BioWare, which saw the departure of many key developers behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, former series writer Sheryl Chee has taken to social media to reassure fans. Amidst concerns that the Dragon Age franchise might be on its last legs, Chee's message was one of hope and resilience: “DA isn't dead because it's yours now.”
This week, EA announced a restructuring at BioWare to shift focus exclusively to Mass Effect 5. As a result, some developers who worked on Dragon Age: The Veilguard were reassigned to other EA studio projects. Notably, John Epler, the creative director for Veilguard, was moved to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding game, Skate. However, others faced layoffs and are now looking for new opportunities.
The decision came after EA disclosed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell short of their expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% below what the company had projected. It's worth noting that EA did not clarify whether this number represented unit sales or included players accessing the game via the EA Play Pro subscription service or a free trial offered through EA Play.
The combination of EA's announcement, the restructuring at BioWare, and the layoffs has led to widespread concern among Dragon Age fans that the series might be nearing its end. There are no plans for DLC for The Veilguard, and BioWare's work on the game concluded with its last major update.
Despite this, Sheryl Chee, now working on Iron Man at Motive after her transition from BioWare, shared words of encouragement on social media. She reflected on the challenges faced over the past two years but emphasized the enduring spirit of the Dragon Age community. Responding to a fan's lament about the series' potential demise, Chee highlighted the community's contributions through fan fiction, art, and the connections forged through the games.
Chee quoted Camus, saying, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer,” to illustrate the resilience and creativity of the Dragon Age community. She affirmed that while EA and BioWare may own the intellectual property, the idea of Dragon Age belongs to its fans, who keep it alive through their own creative endeavors.
Encouraged by a fan's commitment to write an alternate universe story, Chee celebrated the inspiration the series provides, stating it's the greatest honor to have been part of a franchise that sparks such creativity and passion.
The Dragon Age series started with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. The latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, took a decade to release. In September, 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 officially declared the Dragon Age series dead, the current focus on Mass Effect 5 at BioWare suggests that a new Dragon Age game may not be forthcoming anytime soon, if at all. EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is now working on the next Mass Effect game.
