Inside the ‘Dragon Age’ debacle that gutted EA’s BioWare studio


According to interviews with nearly two dozen people who worked on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, there were several reasons behind its failure, including marketing misfires, poor word of mouth and a 10-year gap since the previous title. — Bioware

In early November, on the eve of the crucial holiday shopping season, staffers at the video-game studio BioWare were feeling optimistic. After an excruciating development cycle, they had finally released their latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the early reception was largely positive. The role-playing game was topping sales charts on Steam, and solid, if not spectacular, reviews were rolling in. 

But in the weeks that followed, the early buzz cooled as players delved deeper into the fantasy world, and some BioWare employees grew anxious. For months, everyone at the subsidiary of the video-game publisher Electronic Arts Inc had been under intense pressure. The studio’s previous two games, Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, had flopped, and there were rumors that if Dragon Age underperformed, BioWare might become another of EA’s many casualties. 

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Nvidia buys AI software provider SchedMD to expand open-source AI push
US launches campaign to hire AI engineers for federal roles
Netflix says its position on deal with Warner Bros Discovery unchanged
Citi sets 2026 S&P 500 target at 7,700, expects AI to remain key theme
Exclusive-Tesla board made $3 billion via stock awards that dwarfed tech peers
Electricity is now holding back growth across the global economy
North Korean leader's sister sports Chinese foldable phone
STMicro has shipped 5 billion chips for Starlink in past decade; that could double by 2027
Tech support scammers stole US$85,000 from him. His bank declined to refund him.
Analysis-Old meets new economy: AI boom to supercharge European banks' rally

Others Also Read