EA CEO Says Dragon Age: The Veilguard Failed to 'Resonate With a Broad Audience,' Gamers Increasingly Want 'Shared-World Features'

EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributes the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to connect with a wider audience. Last week's restructuring of BioWare, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, saw some Veilguard developers reassigned to other EA projects.

EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard, despite positive critical reception and a reported 1.5 million players, significantly missed projected engagement figures (nearly 50% below expectations), prompted the restructuring. IGN previously documented development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff viewed the game's completion as a remarkable achievement given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

Wilson, in an investor call, suggested future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to broaden appeal beyond the core fanbase. He acknowledged the game's high-quality launch and positive reviews but emphasized its limited market reach.

This statement is perplexing given EA's prior support for BioWare's Dragon Age reboot, transforming it from a planned multiplayer game into a single-player RPG. Many fans criticize EA's interpretation of the Veilguard's failure, citing the success of recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. The future of Dragon Age remains uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked BioWare's restructuring (reportedly reducing its size from 200 to under 100 employees) to the evolving gaming landscape and the need to prioritize high-potential projects. He highlighted the shift away from traditional blockbuster storytelling, noting that single-player games represent a small fraction of EA's revenue, which heavily relies (74% in the past year) on live-service titles such as Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, The Sims, the upcoming Skate, and the next Battlefield.