A recent report has unveiled fresh details about Dragon Age: The Veilguard's troubled development cycle, raising significant questions about BioWare's future prospects.

Publisher EA disclosed in January that Dragon Age: The Veilguard fell approximately 50% short of sales projections, coinciding with game director Corrine Busche's departure from the studio. This was followed by layoffs affecting multiple BioWare employees involved in the project. That same month, BioWare indicated it had shipped its final update for The Veilguard, with no additional content planned.

IGN had previously reported on The Veilguard's development hurdles, including its transition from single-player to live-service multiplayer before reverting back. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier now provides deeper insights into BioWare's internal struggles during production, explaining why the game ultimately disappointed fans by lacking the meaningful choices and consequences that define BioWare's most celebrated works.

Schreier's report indicates many of The Veilguard's shortcomings stemmed from its abrupt shift back to single-player RPG format, affecting narrative tone, dialogue quality, and player agency. A particularly revealing detail: BioWare grew concerned after Square Enix's Forspoken flopped, fearing The Veilguard's similarly snarky tone might face comparable criticism. This prompted a last-minute dialogue rewrite aiming for a more serious tone, ultimately creating narrative inconsistencies.

Internal debates also surfaced regarding marketing strategy ("an early trailer made the next Dragon Age appear more like Fortnite than a dark fantasy RPG, sparking worries that EA misunderstood how to promote the game").

EA declined Bloomberg's request for comment on these developments.

The aftermath of The Veilguard's underperformance leaves a skeleton crew developing Mass Effect 5 while casting doubt on BioWare's longevity. With The Veilguard joining Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem as BioWare's third consecutive commercial disappointment, Dragon Age's future appears bleak. Could EA potentially shutter the studio?

TD Cowen analyst Doug Creutz told Bloomberg that while EA requires more than sports titles to thrive, "if they closed BioWare's doors tomorrow, I wouldn't be shocked. It's been over ten years since their last major hit."

For complete coverage, visit Bloomberg's original report.