BioWare Dev Reassures Fans: 'Dragon Age Isn't Dead'

Following layoffs at BioWare impacting key Dragon Age: Dreadwolf developers, a former writer offered reassurance to fans, stating, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." This follows EA's restructuring of BioWare to prioritize Mass Effect 5, resulting in some Dreadwolf team members transferring to other EA studios, while others faced layoffs.

This restructuring came after EA announced that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf underperformed, engaging only 1.5 million players in the recent financial quarter—significantly below projections (a nearly 50% shortfall). It's unclear whether this figure represents unit sales or includes EA Play subscribers and free trial participants.

The combination of EA's announcement, BioWare's restructuring, and the layoffs fueled concerns within the Dragon Age community that the franchise is effectively defunct. No DLC is planned for Dreadwolf, and BioWare's work on the game concluded recently with what appeared to be its final major update.

However, Sheryl Chee, a senior writer on Dreadwolf who transitioned from BioWare to Motive Studios to work on Iron Man, shared a message of hope on social media. She acknowledged the challenging two years, but emphasized her continued employment. Responding to a fan expressing grief over Dragon Age's perceived demise, Chee highlighted the power of fan contributions:

"DA isn't dead. There's fic. There's art. There's the connections we made through the games and because of the games. Technically EA/BioWare owns the IP but you can't own an idea, no matter how much they want to. DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

She further explained that fan-created content, such as AU stories, embodies the spirit of Dragon Age and fulfills the game's purpose.

The Dragon Age series began with 2010's Dragon Age: Origins, followed by Dragon Age 2 (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). Dreadwolf, released after a decade-long gap, significantly underperformed compared to Inquisition, which sold over 12 million copies, exceeding EA's internal projections, as revealed by former executive producer Mark Darrah.

While EA hasn't officially declared Dragon Age dead, the future of the franchise appears uncertain given BioWare's focus on Mass Effect 5 and the events surrounding Dreadwolf's release. EA assures fans that a dedicated team at BioWare, including veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, is developing Mass Effect 5.