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 involved shifting some Veilguard staff to other EA projects.

IGN previously documented several development challenges faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs and the departure of key project leads. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier reported that BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

During an investor call, Wilson suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to broaden their appeal. He acknowledged the game's positive critical reception and player reviews but highlighted its insufficient reach in a competitive market. This statement implies that the inclusion of shared-world features and enhanced engagement might have improved sales, a perspective complicated by EA's earlier decision to significantly restructure the Dragon Age development, shifting it from a planned multiplayer game to a single-player RPG.

This has led to criticism, with fans suggesting EA drew the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance, pointing to the success of recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. The future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield further elaborated on the BioWare restructuring, noting that the studio's size has been reduced significantly. He emphasized the evolving gaming landscape and the need to prioritize high-potential projects, highlighting the shift away from traditional blockbuster storytelling models. It's important to note that single-player games represent a small fraction of EA's overall revenue, with live-service titles, particularly Ultimate Team, contributing the majority of earnings. Future EA titles like the next Skate and Battlefield are also expected to incorporate live-service elements.