“We spent a lot of time making our companions feel authentic based on their own unique experiences within this larger fantasy world, which makes the relationships you form with them feel even more meaningful. We’ve tapped into Dragon Age’s deep lore and explored its most iconic factions to bring each of the seven companions and their stories to life.”

McKay also confirmed that the studio has “created a story where you can impact the world and the companions that surround you. Player agency is important to the Dragon Age: The Veilguard experience and allows each player to form unique personal connections with their companions of choice.” Furthermore, players can romance the companions they want, which seemingly hints at no gender restrictions like in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Echoing statements about The Veilguard having more explorable locations, McKay also promised “a deeper variety of biomes than any Dragon Age before it.” While Solas, the Dread Wolf himself, is still a big part of the story, players will have other potential threats. “I don’t want to get too deep into spoiler territory but I can say that the Dread Wolf is not the only god players need to be worried about.”

Platforms and a release window for Dragon Age: The Veilguard are yet to be detailed (though it’s reportedly out this year). You can head here for more details on the decision behind renaming the title or learn more about the combat, which features up to two companions in battles and an ability wheel. Stay tuned for further updates in the meantime.

Reiterating that Solas is “still very much a part of the story,” The Veilguard reflects the “really deep and compelling group of companions” players will encounter. “One thing that’s important to remind fans is that every Dragon Age game is a new and different experience, and this game, more so than ever, is about you and your companions – a group that you must rally to fight by your side.

“We can’t wait for players to meet, connect and form their own personal relationships with the unique companions that make up The Veilguard. That’s the spirit of this game, of this story. Choosing who will join you on your adventure, fight alongside you, and be there by your side in the end.”

McKay also clarifies that the change wasn’t due to focus testing, but to have a title that’s “authentic” to the companions. “We actually think sticking with Dreadwolf would have been the safer choice – ‘Dread Wolf’ is a cool name after all! It was most important for us to have a title that was authentic to the companions that are the heart of this adventure we’ve created. We’ve worked throughout development to create really incredible backstories for each companion that intersect with the main narrative in meaningful ways.”

Why not simply call it Dragon Age 4? “Every game in the series tells its own unique story, and the title is an important element to help set the stage for the next standalone adventure inclusive of its own hero, companions, narrative arc, villain, setting, etc.” As such, the naming isn’t so out of place, considering Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard reportedly launches this year, though its platforms have yet to be announced. A 15-minute showcase is coming on June 11th to demonstrate the opening section and hopefully delve deeper into combat. McKay has confirmed that players can take two companions into battles, issue orders and use an ability wheel for powerful combinations. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

“As an RPG, strategy in combat is important as you bring two companions to every fight. Each companion brings unique powers and abilities that have a direct impact on how you choose to take down the enemies at hand.”

Furthermore, the ability wheel is coming back. Bringing it up will pause the action, and on top of accessing your abilities, it’s also useful for “powerful combinations” of the same between the whole party.

“The ability wheel opens up a huge amount of strategic possibilities, giving players the ability to control the flow of combat and link powerful combinations of abilities between players and their companions that can quickly turn the tide of any battle. We think we’ve found an exciting balance between fun, fluidity and strategy for every encounter,” said McKay.

It already sounds like an improvement from Inquisition, which lacked an ability wheel and locked players to eight abilities. With its seven companions serving as the primary focus, it’s reasonable to expect more than three classes overall. As always, time will tell, so stay tuned for updates this Tuesday.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s platforms and release window haven’t been announced. However, it is rumored to launch later this year.

That has now been made official. BioWare has announced that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has indeed been officially renamed, and is now going to be called Dragon Age: The Veilguard. What’s the reason behind this new subtitle? As per BioWare GM Gary McKay, unlike the previous subtitle, The Veilguard helps reflect the game’s emphasis on its core cast of characters, rather than on the Dread Wolf (who will still remain an important part of the story).

“To capture what this game is all about, we changed the name as the original title didn’t show just how strongly we feel about our new heroes, their stories and how you’ll need to bring them together to save all of Thedas,” McKay says.

The studio has also revealed additional details on the game, revealing that once again, players will be stepping into the shoes of a new protagonist, as has been the case with each new Dragon Age game. Additionally, The Veilguard will also feature seven companion characters.

“Each of the seven unique characters that make up your companions will have deep and compelling storylines where the decisions you make will impact your relationships with them – as well as their lives,” McKay says. ” You’ll unite this team of unforgettable heroes as you take on a terrifying new threat unleashed on the world. Naturally, the Dread Wolf still has an important part in this tale, but you and your companions – not your enemies – are the heart of this new experience.”

And when exactly will we get our first look at the game? BioWare has confirmed that it will be premiering a gameplay reveal for Dragon Age: The Veilguard on YouTube on June 11, at 8 AM Pacific. The reveal will be over 15 minutes long and showcase gameplay from the game’s opening section. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

According to journalist Jeff Grubb, that is indeed going to be the case. Speaking during a recent episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Grubb said that the next Dragon Age game is going to be unveiled at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 10, something that he reiterated afterward on Twitter. According to Grubb, however, though Dragon Age 4 will be there, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf won’t be.

What exactly does that mean? Speculation is rife, as you might imagine, but fellow journalist Jason Schreier has said over on ResetEra that Grubb is referring to the rumour that the game is going to be unveiled with a new name. The subtitle Dreadwolf was unveiled back in 2022.

The Xbox Games Showcase is scheduled for June 10 at 10 AM Pacific. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.

I was rushing out to get to another thing, I should’ve said Dragon Age 4 will still be there. Look, you are not gonna have to wait long for all this stuff. Just sit tight. https://t.co/uvk1oWd7uy

— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) June 5, 2024

While there’s no pricing and release date, the listings reaffirm a Summer 2024 reveal. Thus far, we know the sequel takes place in Thedas, which needs a leader amid upcoming chaos. Like Origins and Inquisition, players will recruit allies to their cause and ideally stand together against whatever catastrophe is inbound.

BioWare has confirmed that the title will have more explorable locations than previous games, including Anderfels, where the Grey Warden’s base, Weisshaupt, is located, and Antiva, which houses the shadowy Crows. There’s also the shores of Rivan where dragons have taken up residence, chasing away the Lords of Fortune and destroying their ships.

If an announcement is coming on June 7th, perhaps pre-orders will go live around then. Stay tuned for more details and updates in the meantime.

Of the two games, one is marked as being a partner title, and is set for release in Q4 2024—towards the end of the financial year. The other game doesn’t have a release narrower release window, but EA has stated that it is a new game in a pre-existing IP.

According to GiantBomb’s Jeff Grubb, the second game belonging to a pre-existing IP will be Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, which has been rumoured to be slated for a 2024 release. More details on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf are set to be revealed in the summer.

Other games listed in the company’s product release slate include Tales of Kenzera: Zau, which was released back in April, as well as a host of sports titles, including the upcoming F1 24, EA Sports College Football 25, EA Sports Madden NFL 25, EA Sports FC 25, and EA Sports NHL 25.

It's Dragon Age. https://t.co/63foyeoxeA

— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) May 7, 2024

That’s according to journalist Jeff Grubb, who claimed on a recent episode of his Game Mess Decides podcast that the development team at BioWare is internally “pretty confident” that the long-awaited Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will release this year. Grubb says that while that doesn’t mean the release date can’t still slip into 2025, currently, the studio is expecting the RPG to launch this year.

That Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will release sometime in 2024 is something reports have claimed for a while now (including from Grubb himself), while interestingly, back in November, the LinkedIn profile of an EA employee also claimed the same.

In December, BioWare released a teaser trailer showcasing some of the locations players will explore in the game, and confirmed that a full reveal would be coming in Summer of 2024.

IGN has stated in a report that based on what it has learned, the next Mass Effect game is still in pre-production, as it was confirmed to be back in August of last year. At present, BioWare remains primarily focused on the development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, a reveal for which is primed for this Summer, ahead of an alleged launch later this year.

Alongside announcing its workforce reduction, EA stated that it’s pivoting away from future licensed IP development, and instead plans to refocus its efforts on its own internal IP. Mass Effect and Dragon Age are amount the two biggest properties in that portfolio, so their development not being impacted isn’t entirely surprising.

Outside of BioWare, EA has confirmed that Motive Studio’s Iron Man game and Cliffhanger Games’ Black Panther title are still in development.

Some of these locations were glimpsed in the aforementioned trailer, with the desolate badlands and spires of the Anderfels (where we see Weisshaupt, the fortress that serves as the Grey Wardens’ base of operations), the greenery and sparkling seas of Rivan (where we’ll meet its “hardy” and sea-faring inhabitants), and the dense, gleaming cityscape of Antiva (where we’ll meet the Crows, an elite organization of spies and thieves).

BioWare has also revealed additional narrative tidbits on each of those locations, with each dealing with their unique brewing problems. On the shores of Rivan, for instance, the treasure-hunting guild Lords of Fortune has been driven out by the increased activity (and aggression) of dragons, who are laying waste to the guild’s ships. In Antiva, meanwhile, some mysterious trouble is brewing in the shadows, and the Crows are trying to uncover its source. Meanwhile, the Anderfels, where the Grey Wardens reside, have been wracked by tremors whose origin remains unknown, while an ominous storm gathers on the horizon.

Interestingly, BioWare has said that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s world will feature more explorable locations than any of the previous Dragon Age titles.

“This time, however, much more of Thedas is yours to see,” the developer says. “The desolate, beautiful badlands of the Anderfels with curtains of distant mountainous spires. The twisting canals and gleaming towers of Antiva, where Crows may lurk in any shadow. The turquoise seas of Rivain with its rushes of greenery and hardy sea-faring people. And of course, there’s more.

“We felt this was best for the tale we wanted to tell this time and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have! It’s allowed us to create many more locations than past games, including both some you’ve longed to go to… and some you’ve never heard of before.”

Last month, the LinkedIn profile of an EA employee suggested that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf would launch in 2024, though there have been some suggestions that the game could potentially be pushed back into 2025.