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'

In the wake of significant layoffs at BioWare, which saw numerous key developers of Dragon Age: The Veilguard depart, former series writer Sheryl Chee has reached out to fans with a message of reassurance: "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." This statement comes as EA announced a restructuring of BioWare to exclusively focus on Mass Effect 5, reallocating some Veilguard developers to other EA projects, while others faced layoffs and are now seeking new opportunities.

EA's decision follows the disappointing performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which engaged only 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% below EA's expectations. It's important to note that EA did not clarify whether this number represents unit sales or includes players accessing the game through EA's Play Pro and EA Play subscription services, which offered a free trial of the game.

The combination of EA's announcement, the restructuring at BioWare, and the layoffs has led to widespread concern among the Dragon Age community that the series may be nearing its end. With no DLC planned for The Veilguard and BioWare's work on the game concluding with its last major update, the future of the franchise appears uncertain.

Despite this, Sheryl Chee, who has transitioned from BioWare to work on Iron Man at Motive, used social media to express hope and resilience. Reflecting on the challenging period, Chee shared a quote from Camus: "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." She emphasized that while EA and BioWare may own the intellectual property, the spirit of Dragon Age lives on through fan-created content such as fan fiction, art, and the connections forged by the community.

Chee's message resonated with fans, with one responding that they were inspired to write an alternate universe story, prompting Chee to affirm that this is exactly the kind of creative engagement that keeps Dragon Age alive. "If DA has inspired you to do something, if it sparks that Invincible summer, then it's done its job, and it has been my greatest honor to have been a part of that," she concluded.

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 exceeding EA's internal projections.

While EA has not officially declared the Dragon Age series dead, the focus on Mass Effect 5 and the current state of BioWare suggest that a new Dragon Age game is unlikely in the near future, if at all. Meanwhile, EA confirmed that a dedicated team at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is actively developing Mass Effect 5, indicating a clear shift in priorities.