In the wake of recent layoffs at BioWare, which saw many key developers of Dragon Age: The Veilguard depart, former series writer Sheryl Chee has stepped forward to reassure fans, asserting that "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." This statement comes in the context of a significant restructuring at BioWare, as EA announced a shift in focus solely to Mass Effect 5, moving some Veilguard team members to other EA projects while others faced layoffs.

EA's announcement followed disappointing performance metrics for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which engaged only 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter—nearly half of what the company had projected. It's unclear whether this figure represents unit sales or includes users of EA's Play Pro and EA Play subscription services, which offered the game and a free trial, respectively.

The combination of EA's announcement, the studio's restructuring, and the layoffs has led to widespread concern among the Dragon Age community about the future of the series. Notably, no DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare concluded its work on the game with its last major update last week.

Despite these developments, Sheryl Chee, now working on Iron Man at Motive after her time at BioWare, remains optimistic. In a social media post, Chee shared a quote from Albert Camus, "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer," to inspire hope amidst the turmoil. She emphasized that while EA/BioWare may own the Dragon Age IP, the series lives on through the fan community's creative contributions, including fan fiction and art.

"DA isn't dead because it's yours now," Chee affirmed, highlighting the enduring impact of the series on its fans. She celebrated a fan's intention to write a giant alternate universe (AU) story, underscoring how such fan-driven creativity keeps the spirit of Dragon Age alive.

Dragon Age has a storied history, beginning with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. The latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, took a decade to release. Notably, former executive producer Mark Darrah revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, significantly surpassing EA's internal projections.

While EA has not officially declared the Dragon Age series dead, the current focus on Mass Effect 5 and the changes at BioWare suggest that a new Dragon Age game may not be forthcoming anytime soon, if at all. Meanwhile, a "core team" at BioWare is actively developing the next Mass Effect game, led by veterans from the original trilogy, ensuring that the studio has the right resources for this project.