Dragon Age creator reckons the series is dead following Veilguard flop, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have another go at it if given the chance

Following the poor commercial performance of 2024’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider has declared the fantasy RPG series effectively dead under its current publisher Electronic Arts. Gaider, who created the series and served as lead writer for Dragon Age: Inquisition before departing BioWare in 2014, expressed skepticism about the franchise’s future in an interview with PC Gamer.

Gaider attributed the series’ troubles to EA’s long-standing misunderstanding of Dragon Age. He explained that throughout his tenure at BioWare, the series was perpetually at risk of cancellation, with EA never fully supporting the franchise. The publisher consistently treated Dragon Age as a secondary project compared to BioWare’s more action-oriented Mass Effect series. Whenever Dragon Age sold well, EA dismissed the success as a “fluke,” according to Gaider.

The Veilguard’s underperformance has had significant consequences for BioWare. The studio was downsized following the game’s release, with remaining staff reassigned to pre-production work on the next Mass Effect title. Leadership figures involved with The Veilguard were either moved to other positions within EA or laid off entirely.

Despite believing the series is unlikely to see another installment under EA’s ownership, Gaider indicated he would be interested in returning to Dragon Age if circumstances permitted. He suggested he would take the franchise “somewhere dark and dangerous,” emphasizing a willingness to create controversial content that would “make people upset”—a departure from the direction the series has recently taken.

Dragon Age creator reckons the series is dead following Veilguard flop, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have another go at it if given the chance

Sources