Dragon Age: The Veilguard Will Make or Break BioWare

On March 6, 2012, BioWare released the long-awaited game Mass Effect 3, the third in the series to conclude the battle of the Reapers versus the infamous Commander Shepard. It would finally let devoted gamers and fans see how their choices shaped the final game. That’s not what happened. Instead, fans walked away feeling betrayed. BioWare only had one answer — the poorly received Andromeda, which sunk the company even further into issues with fans. Now, it seems up to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the newest addition to the Dragon Age franchise, to make or break BioWare. 

Gameplay Choices Used to Matter in Dragon Age

Since Dragon Age: Origins, BioWare ensures your choices make a difference across installments. For example, you may choose to allow one character to harden, only to find out this makes them cruel in later games. This results in gamers feeling like they can craft their own story and outcome. 

With the trailer and revealed gameplay of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, long-time fans are already seeing that their previous choices may not have mattered at all. It may be that none of it matters because the new concept of The Veilguard is built by the gamer and not affected by previous choices, but by a set canon lore. 

Changing Beloved Characters Could be a Mistake

Varric Tethras is the most noticeably changed character in The Veilguard so far. Though many noticed his looks going from a rogue businessman and adventurer style to a more long-haired, gritty style, there was something else other fans noticed. 

In the trailer, Varric seems to be pulling together a new set of heroes. He is calling off character types as if he’s the one in charge, which we know he isn’t. It’s an odd choice for such a beloved and well-noted character. It’s also a character choice that may be one of the nails in the coffin of the BioWare franchise. 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Has Faced Development Issues

It seemed promising for the game development when BioWare switched focus from Anthem to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. That promising future dimmed when over 50 staffers were laid off from BioWare. This was a hit to the game development regardless, but one key factor made that hit even harder. Mary Kirby was among those laid off. That’s right. The original creator of the beloved character and narrator of two games, Varric Tethras, was laid off. Now, we have a trailer revealing a very changed Varric and a game that looks like it was developed in maybe half the time it took to create it. It has a new look, a new feel, and has been hyped for far too long. 

The bottom line is that BioWare is famous for giving gamers an expansive and detailed immersive universe, but it’s also notorious for destroying those universes in the latter stages of the series. Despite all the changes, layoffs, and even the new graphics approach, The Veilguard may suffer. BioWare needs to deliver a game that meets the nearly decade of hype it has received while giving the fans the Dragon Age game they deserve.