Articles Video 'Anthem with Dragons': BioWare Devs Reveal What Went Wrong with Dragon Age: The Veilguard — Jason Schreier Investigation

'Anthem with Dragons': BioWare Devs Reveal What Went Wrong with Dragon Age: The Veilguard — Jason Schreier Investigation

Eduard Zamikhovsky

June 12, 2025, 12:50 PM

Jason Schreier has published a new investigative report on Dragon Age: The Veilguard for Bloomberg, speaking to nearly 20 current and former BioWare developers to uncover what went wrong during the game’s troubled development. Here are the key takeaways:

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Official Reveal Trailer

Development on Dragon Age 4 (originally codenamed Joplin) began as early as 2014, following the release of Inquisition. The project was led by executive producer Mark Darrah and creative director Mike Laidlaw;
As EA became increasingly focused on live-service games following the success of Destiny and Overwatch, the project was reworked into a multiplayer-focused live-service title. Laidlaw was unhappy with the shift and left BioWare in 2017;
According to Schreier, Laidlaw’s farewell involved bringing out bottles of whiskey and gathering his colleagues in a conference room. “The assembled staff stayed late through the night, drinking and reminiscing about the franchise they loved,” the article recounts;
The multiplayer version of Dragon Age 4, codenamed Morrison, was led by former art director Matt Goldman. Goldman pushed for a lighter, more cheerful tone — a better fit for live-service gameplay, but one that risked alienating long-time fans;
Due to genre constraints, Morrison lacked tactical pause, prevented major character deaths, and featured repeatable quests designed for co-op. Internally, some BioWare staff joked they were making “Anthem with dragons”;
In December 2020, BioWare heads Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah stepped down. Gary McKay was appointed as the studio’s new general manager;
Under McKay, Dragon Age 4 pivoted back to a single-player RPG with no live-service mechanics. However, EA only granted 18 months for this major overhaul — not nearly enough time for a full reboot;
The tight deadline led to rushed decisions and design compromises. The story and structure were reworked on the fly, and internal deadlines were repeatedly pushed while key issues remained unresolved;
In late 2022, BioWare released an internal alpha to gather feedback from employees and external testers. Many criticized the build for lacking meaningful narrative choices and moral complexity — hallmarks of the Dragon Age series;
In response to the negative feedback, BioWare delayed the game again. In 2023, the studio brought in the Mass Effect 5 team to help. This led to new content and a more robust ending, though tensions ran high between the two teams;
The game’s lighthearted tone — a remnant of the Morrison era — frustrated both fans and BioWare leadership. Writers began rewriting dialogue, but time pressure, layoffs, crunch, and the actors’ strike severely hampered progress.

Schreier ends the piece with a quote from TD Cowen analyst Doug Creutz, who believes EA will continue supporting BioWare, if only to diversify beyond its sports franchises. Still, he adds: “If they shuttered the doors tomorrow I wouldn’t be totally surprised. It has been over a decade since they produced a hit.”

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