Why Did Dragon Age: The Veilguard Disappoint Fans? Former Producer Points to EA

Due to the return from a multiplayer format to a single-player RPG, with no time left for rework, The Veilguard team worked for years under constant deadlines, fixing what was already done instead of making bold changes.

Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah revealed how constant changes in Electronic Arts' plans and tight development deadlines affected the creation of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Problems began in 2017 when EA reassigned the Dragon Age team to save Anthem. The original concept of a chamber RPG was replaced with a multiplayer game-as-a-service, designed for multi-year monetization.

During the pandemic and personnel changes, the studio was allowed to return to a single-player format, but there was no time left for a full rework. Initially, the release was planned for late 2022, but instead of several years to rebuild the project, the publisher only postponed the release date by a few months.

According to Darrah, developers constantly worked under deadline pressure and preferred to fix existing elements rather than risk changing unsuccessful decisions. This, according to the authors of the material, explains why The Veilguard, released in autumn 2024, disappointed some long-time fans: the game was criticized for simplified decisions, dialogues, and agenda.

Darrah focused on corporate governance and timelines, without touching on ideological disputes. Earlier reports indicated that the main part of Mass Effect: Andromeda was created in just 18 months. In comparison, the development of major PlayStation Studios games usually takes three to five years.