EA Advised to Emulate Larian's Success with Baldur’s Gate 3

Former BioWare developers have shared their insights on the recent performance and comments surrounding *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*. During a financial call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson noted that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience," indicating it did not meet the company's expectations. EA announced that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* engaged 1.5 million players in its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of projections.

In response to the game's underperformance, EA restructured BioWare to focus solely on *Mass Effect 5*, resulting in some staff being moved to other projects within EA studios, while others faced layoffs. This decision came after a series of development challenges for *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, including staff layoffs, the departure of key project leads, and a shift in development focus. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the completion of the game was seen as a "miracle" by BioWare staff, given the forced integration and subsequent removal of live-service elements by EA.

Wilson emphasized the need for BioWare’s RPGs to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside high-quality narratives to achieve greater success. He suggested that these elements could have broadened the game's appeal in the competitive market. However, *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* transitioned from a planned multiplayer game to a single-player RPG, a change driven by a development reboot supported by EA.

Former BioWare staff have voiced their opinions on social media. David Gaider, the creator of the *Dragon Age* setting and former narrative lead, criticized EA's takeaway that the game should have been a live-service title. He suggested that EA should instead focus on what made *Dragon Age* successful in the past, taking inspiration from *Baldur’s Gate 3* developer Larian's approach to single-player RPGs.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on *Dragon Age* and now at Yellow Brick Games, expressed strong opposition to turning a beloved single-player game into a purely multiplayer one, stating he would quit if faced with such a demand.

With *Dragon Age* seemingly on hold, BioWare is now fully dedicated to *Mass Effect 5*, led by series veterans. EA CFO Stuart Canfield highlighted the shift in industry trends towards blockbuster storytelling and the need to reallocate resources to high-potential projects like *Mass Effect 5*. This restructuring has reduced BioWare's staff significantly, underscoring the company's strategic pivot.