Dragon Age: The Veilguard Underperformed Due to Lack of “Shared-World Features,” EA CEO Suggests

"Games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features," the EA boss says.

Posted By | On 05th, Feb. 2025

dragon age the veilguard

Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been officially deemed a commercial disappointment by publisher Electronic Arts. However, its verdict on why it failed to attract a sufficiently sizeable audience may leave some fans even more frustrated.

The action RPG had a notoriously long and turbulent development cycle, and up until its last reboot, was being developed as a live service title. According to EA, however, the lack of ongoing multiplayer elements might be partly responsible for its failure to sell well (or well enough).

“To break beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said during the company’s recent quarterly earnings call (via PC Gamer). “Dragon Age had a high-quality launch and was well-reviewed by critics and those who played; however, it did not resonate with a broad enough audience in this highly competitive market.”

In June 2023, BioWare announced that it would be refocusing on crafting “immersive, emotionally charged, single player games”. The move also saw the studio handing off all future development on MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic to Broadsword Online.

The next Mass Effect, which is currently in pre-production, is being developed as a single-player title (for now, at least). Whether EA will change direction following Dragon Age’s commercial failure remains to be seen.

In the aftermath of Dragon Age’s underperformance, EA has downsized BioWare, shifting several of its staff to other studios and laying off several others. Currently, its numbers stand at less than 100 employees.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Keep On Reading!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide – 13 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide – 13 Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Even with its hefty tutorials, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 holds many secrets.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Tech Analysis – PS5 vs PC Comparison, Graphics Overview and More

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Tech Analysis – PS5 vs PC Comparison, Graphics Overview and More

The open-world medieval action RPG surpasses all expectations on PC and PS5, delivering strong performance and...

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Hideo Kojima Teases Editing New Trailer

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Hideo Kojima Teases Editing New Trailer

Kojima is "sitting at the editing desk for the first time in a year", and possibly implying a trailer at the r...

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends Z-A Reaffirmed for 2025 Launch

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends Z-A Reaffirmed for 2025 Launch

Nintendo also confirmed it will "continue to launch attractive software" for the Switch 1 "as soon as we can d...

Street Fighter 6 – Fatal Fury’s Mai Shiranui is Now Live

Street Fighter 6 – Fatal Fury’s Mai Shiranui is Now Live

The "Alluring Ninja Girl" is also available in World Tour. Other new content includes new ranks for Master Lea...

Monster Hunter Wilds PC Benchmark Tool is Now Available

Monster Hunter Wilds PC Benchmark Tool is Now Available

PC players can test their hardware before the game's launch on February 28th and see how cutscenes and gamepla...