Dragon Age Star 'Devastated' by Backlash, Claims BioWare's Failure Was Desired

Dragon Age star Alix Wilton Regan has shared her heartfelt reaction to the backlash surrounding last year's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, attributing the "mixed reactions" to individuals who "wanted to see the game fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail."

Wilton Regan, known for voicing the Female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, expressed her devastation to IGN over the game's failure to attract a broader audience, despite receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.

During a comprehensive interview about her iconic roles in video games and her upcoming part in Microsoft's Perfect Dark reboot, Wilton Regan reflected fondly on her time as BioWare's Inquisitor, though she doubts the character will return.

"I feel absolutely devastated for BioWare as a studio that they got such mixed reactions to the game," Wilton Regan remarked about The Veilguard. "I personally thought it was a really strong game. I thought it was just BioWare being more BioWare.

"I also think a lot of people kind of wanted to see it fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail, either because they're just really bad people on the internet — of which there are unfortunately many, as we have discovered."

Upon its release, The Veilguard faced significant online review bombing. Much of the criticism labeled the game as "woke" due to its inclusion of a non-binary companion character and the option for players to select a transgender protagonist. On Steam, the game currently holds a 'Mixed' rating, with user tags including "LGBTQ+" and "politics."

"People were attacking the game before it was released," Wilton Regan added. "It's ridiculous. How can you judge a game, a book, a film, a TV show before it's actually released? You can't. It's an idiotic stance to take."

In January, EA acknowledged that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had "underperformed" by approximately 50% compared to expectations, shortly after the game's director, Corrine Busche, announced her departure from the company. Additionally, other BioWare employees who contributed to the game were laid off.

BioWare also confirmed in January that it had released the final update for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with no further content planned.

"I only ever want to see the folks from BioWare thrive, because I adore them," Wilton Regan concluded. "And whatever they go on to do next I have no doubt their talents will be richly rewarded. We're really lucky we'll get more gold from them in the future."

A reduced BioWare team is now focused on developing Mass Effect 5, which has yet to receive a release date.