EA CEO Andrew Wilson has recently addressed the disappointing financial performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, stating that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement follows last week's announcement that EA has restructured Dragon Age developer BioWare to focus exclusively on the development of Mass Effect 5. As a result, some team members who worked on The Veilguard have been reassigned to other projects within EA studios.
The decision to restructure came after EA revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had only engaged 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of the company's expectations for the eagerly anticipated action RPG. IGN has documented several development challenges faced by The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of several key project leads at various stages of development.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted that BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released as a complete game, especially given EA's fluctuating demands—from initially pushing for a live-service model to later reversing course.
During an investor-focused financial call, Wilson emphasized the necessity for future role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives." He suggested that had Dragon Age: The Veilguard included such elements, it might have attracted a larger audience. This statement raises questions, considering EA had supported BioWare's decision to pivot Dragon Age from a multiplayer framework to a full single-player RPG experience.
Fans have expressed concerns that EA may have drawn the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance, especially in light of the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. Many are now questioning the future of the Dragon Age franchise, which appears to be on indefinite hold.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the company's strategic shift towards focusing on high-potential opportunities, which includes reallocating resources from Dragon Age to Mass Effect 5. This shift has seen BioWare's workforce reduced from 200 to less than 100 employees.
Canfield highlighted the evolving nature of the gaming industry, noting that while blockbuster storytelling has historically driven beloved IPs, the current market landscape favors live-service models. Indeed, EA's revenue is predominantly driven by live-service games, accounting for 74% of its earnings over the past year. Key contributors include Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims, with upcoming titles like Skate and the next Battlefield also set to follow the live-service model.
This strategic pivot towards live-service games and the emphasis on shared-world features in future RPGs suggest a significant shift in EA's approach to game development, one that will undoubtedly shape the future of franchises like Mass Effect.
