EA's 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 personnel shifts following the game's disappointing sales figures. EA reported only 1.5 million players engaged with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, significantly below projections.
IGN previously documented the game's troubled development, marked by layoffs and the departure of key personnel. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.
Wilson, in an investor call, suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to broaden appeal. He acknowledged the game's high-quality launch and positive reviews but emphasized its limited audience reach in a competitive market.
This statement is perplexing given EA's prior directive to BioWare to overhaul Dragon Age from a multiplayer framework to a single-player RPG, as reported by IGN. The success of recent single-player titles like Baldur's Gate 3 further challenges Wilson's assertion. Many fans believe EA drew the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance. The future of the Dragon Age franchise appears uncertain.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked BioWare's restructuring, reducing its size considerably, to the company's strategy of focusing resources on high-potential projects. He highlighted the shift in the industry landscape and the importance of adapting to evolving player expectations.
It's crucial to remember that single-player games represent a small fraction of EA's revenue. Live service titles, particularly Ultimate Team, contribute significantly (74% in the past year), with other games like Apex Legends and The Sims also contributing. Future projects like the next Skate and Battlefield will likely follow this live-service model.
