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

Former BioWare developers have shared their insights on *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* and the recent comments made by EA CEO Andrew Wilson regarding its performance. During a financial call, Wilson noted that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement came after EA restructured BioWare to focus solely on *Mass Effect 5*, leading to the reassignment of some *Veilguard* developers to other EA projects and the layoffs of others.

EA announced that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* had only engaged 1.5 million players in its recent financial quarter, a figure significantly lower than the company's expectations. This underperformance prompted EA to shift its focus away from the *Dragon Age* series. IGN has detailed the game's development challenges, including layoffs and the departure of several project leads, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. Schreier noted that it was a "miracle" the game was released as a complete product after EA's attempts to implement and then abandon live-service features.

Wilson emphasized that BioWare's role-playing games need to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to meet EA's success criteria. He stated, "In order to break out beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category." Despite positive reviews and a high-quality launch, Wilson suggested that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* lacked the broad appeal necessary in today's competitive market.

The game's development saw a significant shift from an initial multiplayer concept to a full single-player RPG, a change that many believe impacted its performance. Former BioWare staff, including David Gaider, who created the *Dragon Age* setting and was its narrative lead, have critiqued EA's interpretation of the game's failure. Gaider, now at Summerfall Studios, argued that suggesting *The Veilguard* should have been a live-service game is shortsighted. He advised EA to focus on what made *Dragon Age* successful in the past, drawing parallels with the success of *Baldur's Gate 3* by Larian Studios, which emphasizes a strong single-player experience with some co-op elements.

Mike Laidlaw, former creative director on *Dragon Age* and now at Yellow Brick Games, echoed these sentiments. He stated he would resign if pressured to transform a beloved single-player franchise into a purely multiplayer game, highlighting the absurdity of such a demand, especially if repeated.

Following these developments, *Dragon Age* appears to be on hold, with BioWare now concentrating entirely on *Mass Effect 5*, led by series veterans. EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the restructuring, noting that the industry's landscape is evolving and that EA's decision to reallocate resources is aimed at capitalizing on the highest potential opportunities. This restructuring has reduced BioWare's workforce from 200 to less than 100 employees, signaling a significant shift in the studio's direction.