EA CEO Says Dragon Age: The Veilguard Failed to 'Resonate With a Broad Audience,' Gamers Increasingly Want 'Shared-World Features'

EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributed the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to resonate with a broad audience. Following the game's disappointing sales, which fell nearly 50% short of projections, EA restructured BioWare, the game's developer, to focus solely on Mass Effect 5. This restructuring resulted in some The Veilguard team members being transferred to other EA studios.

IGN previously documented Dragon Age: The Veilguard's troubled development, including layoffs and the departure of several key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

In a recent investor call, Wilson suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to broaden their appeal. While acknowledging the game's positive critical reception and player reviews, he emphasized its failure to reach a wider audience in a competitive market. This suggests Wilson believes incorporating shared-world features and increased player engagement could have improved sales, a viewpoint that clashes with EA's earlier decision to drastically shift The Veilguard's development from a live-service model to a single-player RPG.

This perspective contrasts sharply with the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3, leading many fans to criticize EA's post-mortem analysis. The future of the Dragon Age franchise now appears uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield further elaborated on the BioWare restructuring, noting the reduction in studio size from approximately 200 to under 100 employees. He highlighted the shift in the industry landscape and the importance of focusing resources on high-potential projects.

It's crucial to consider that single-player games constitute a small fraction of EA's overall revenue. The company's financial success heavily relies on live-service games, with Ultimate Team contributing significantly, alongside titles like Apex Legends and The Sims. Future projects such as the upcoming Skate and the next Battlefield installment are also expected to incorporate live-service elements.