As Dragon Age Fans Fear the Death of the Series, One Former BioWare Developer Offers Words of Reassurance: 'Dragon Age Isn't Dead Because It's Yours Now'

Following significant layoffs at BioWare, which affected many key developers of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, former writer Sheryl Chee has sought to reassure fans about the future of the series. Amidst EA's restructuring of BioWare to solely focus on Mass Effect 5, some developers were reassigned to other EA projects, while others faced layoffs and are now seeking new opportunities.

EA's recent announcement highlighted that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had engaged 1.5 million players during its latest financial quarter, falling short of the company's expectations by nearly 50%. It remains unclear whether this figure represents unit sales or includes players who accessed the game through EA's Play Pro or EA Play subscription services, which offered a free trial.

The combination of EA's announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and the layoffs has led to concerns among the Dragon Age community that the series may be at an end. Notably, no DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare concluded its work on the game with its last major update last week.

Despite these developments, Sheryl Chee, who transitioned from BioWare to work on Iron Man at Motive, took to social media to offer a message of hope. Reflecting on the challenges faced over the past two years, Chee emphasized the resilience of the Dragon Age community. In response to a fan's concern about the series' future, she stated, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." Chee highlighted the fan-created content such as fan fiction and art, along with the connections formed through the games, as evidence that the spirit of Dragon Age continues to thrive. She shared a quote from Camus, "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer," underscoring the enduring impact of the series on its fans.

The Dragon Age series began 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. Former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, significantly surpassing EA's internal projections.

While EA has not officially declared the end of Dragon Age, the future of new titles in the series appears uncertain, especially with BioWare's full attention now on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is developing the next game in the series. Despite not disclosing specific numbers, EA assured that the studio has the appropriate team size and roles for the current stage of Mass Effect's development.