Dragon Age Co-Creator Offers EA Some Advice: Follow Baldur’s Gate 3 Developer Larian’s Lead

Former BioWare developers have criticized EA's assessment of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's underperformance and subsequent restructuring of BioWare. EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributed the game's failure to not resonate with a broad enough audience, suggesting a need for "shared-world features and deeper engagement." This followed a significant restructuring at BioWare, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5 and resulting in layoffs and staff transfers.

EA reported that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf engaged 1.5 million players, significantly below projections. Reports indicate the game's development was plagued by challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel, with some BioWare staff viewing its completion as a miracle after a late shift away from a planned live-service model.

Wilson's comments prompted reactions from former BioWare figures. David Gaider, former narrative lead on Dragon Age, criticized EA's conclusion that the game's failure stemmed from a lack of live-service elements, calling it short-sighted. He advocated for EA to emulate Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3, focusing on the core strengths that made Dragon Age popular in the past.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on Dragon Age, expressed his strong disagreement with the idea of fundamentally altering a successful single-player IP into a purely multiplayer experience, stating he would likely resign if faced with such a demand.

The outcome appears to be the indefinite shelving of the Dragon Age franchise, with BioWare now fully committed to Mass Effect 5. EA's CFO, Stuart Canfield, acknowledged the evolving industry landscape and the need to reallocate resources to high-potential projects, highlighting the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. This restructuring reportedly reduced BioWare's staff from 200 to under 100.