Bioware isn’t the great RPG studio it once was and the current state ofDragon Ageproves this. It doesn’t have the same draw nor the same stamp of excellence that it was once famed for during the 2000s and early 2010s, and perhaps EA feels this too. Recent news suggests that Bioware wanted to do more with theDragon Agefranchise, but EA is hesitant afterVeilguard.
Veilguardsomewhat struggled commercially, andthis likely isn’t helped by the ludicrously long ten-year development. While it’s hard to callVeilguarda flop without statistics, EA isn’t leaping out of its seat to do more with the franchise. Bioware even pitched a series of remasters for the franchise to EA, but it’s clear that EA doesn’t believe in the series enough to give it more resources, andVeilguardcould be the last seen ofDragon Age.
Dragon Age Might End With Veilguard
Remasters Might Be Its Only Path Back
In an interview on theMrMattyPlaysYouTube channel, Mark Darrah, a former Bioware producer,spoke about the state of the studio as a whole and the state of theDragon Ageseriesspecifically. Darrah is known for his work on the first twoDragon Agetitles and was with Bioware until 2022. He was a part of the studio’s golden age and partly responsible for Bioware’s mark of quality back in the 2000s and 2010s.
He talked about howEA seesDragon Agecompared to something likeMass Effectand how it isn’t as attractive a project because of its fantasy setting and that EA is unable to see it as a mainstream game. This was particularly the case withDragon Age: Origins, despite it being widely considered the best game in the franchise, and the series was pushed to be something more or something different. This resulted inInqusition.
Because of the less favorable light EA shines onDragon Age,especially compared toMass Effect, and the relatively poor commercial performance ofDA: Veilguard, it’s difficult to see a path forward for the series. Darrah still thinks"there are more games to be made"in the series but is"not sure how it gets started right now.“This could change in the future,given the fantasy RPG titles on the horizon.
The Witcher 4andElder Scrolls 6are likely coming out some time in 2027–2028, withFablerumored to be delayed to 2027, and these titles could prompt EA to do more withDragon Age. Still, itseems that a remaster would be needed first to get the ball rolling for a new title. The problem is, this isn’t something that EA seems likely to do anytime soon, nor is it something that Bioware can feasibly begin development on.
Bioware and EA Won’t Make Dragon Age Remasters
Bioware’s Pitch Was Denied
In the interview,Darrah mentions that aDragon Agetrilogy remaster was soft-pitched to EA, titledThe Champions Trilogy, with the idea being similar toMass Effect Legendary Edition. This pitch was denied by EA, with Darrah mentioning that the publisher"is against remasters.“This is odd, considering EA’s famed greed for cash, but there are a few reasons as to why aDragon Ageremastered trilogy is tricky.
UnlikeMass Effect, theDragon Agetitles were made on different engines and can’t get the easy facelift thatMass Effectgot. This was always going to be a tough pitch for EA, who doesn’t like remasters and doesn’t seeDragon Ageas profitable asMass Effect. Then, there is Bioware’s current structure and how it is split into different teams working on different series at the same time.
Bioware doesn’t have the resources for a remaster, especiallyafter all the lay-offs, meaning it would likely have to be outsourced and thus costing EA even more money. It’s tough to pitch it afterVeilguard’s performance and the dire straits Bioware finds itself in. Still,it’s the only profitable avenue theDragon Ageseries has left, and remasters of older titles would draw in more eyes thanDragon Age 5.
The problem is,EA is a publisher who has no problem letting IPs rot. IfDragon Ageisn’t pulling mainstream income, it will probably be left behind to gather dust, and Bioware might be told to go full steam ahead withMass Effect. One project at a time will likely help the studio too, andDragon Agewill likely end up in the same situation asthe underratedAlice: Madnessseries, despite fans asking for more.
A Dragon Age: Origins Remaster Alone Would Be A Hit
And One Remaster Is More Viable
Still, if EA does want to test the waters once 2027 and 2028 bring some of gaming’s biggest fantasy series back,aDragon Age: Originsremaster on its own isn’t a bad idea.Originsis considered the best game anyway, and as long as it’s true to the original with better visuals, it will probably be a hit. With theDragon Agegames using different engines, one remaster at a time is the better option.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely.Dragon Agewill go dormant once again, except this time, there won’t be a game waiting at the end.Veilguard’s long development and subsequent poor commercial performance has harmed Bioware, and it might be a while before it can recover, if it even manages to do that. Even ifDragon Agecomes back, it will have to take a backseat toMass Effectand fans probably won’t hear much from it for a long time.
