Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah sees little chance of another Dragon Age being made, but he argues that The Veilguard’s divisive reception is not the real obstacle; EA’s tangled approval process is what keeps the series trapped.
Dragon Age fans may have to prepare for another very long wait. Mark Darrah, who spent more than two decades at BioWare and served as one of the fantasy RPG franchise’s key producers, cannot identify a team or leader inside Electronic Arts who could currently push a new entry through the company.
No One Is in Position to Champion a New Dragon Age
Darrah explained in a recent interview that BioWare shifted its full attention to the next Mass Effect after releasing Dragon Age: The Veilguard. That leaves even the earliest stage of a new project — finding someone willing to champion the concept — without an obvious owner.
“I have no idea who could step forward and take on the development of a new Dragon Age at EA,” the veteran producer said. He noted that the publisher owns a huge catalogue of valuable properties that can remain dormant for years, while several competing decision-makers may all believe they control the same intellectual property.
“As soon as you decide to make a game based on one of those licenses, three different people suddenly appear who think they control it, and they practically tear the proposal apart.”
Handing the Series to Another EA Studio Would Not Solve It
Darrah believes the most plausible route would be for a focused proposal to emerge from inside BioWare itself. Bringing in a different EA team could create another dispute over authority, because BioWare would understandably try to preserve its position within the franchise.
The Veilguard arrived in 2024, a decade after Inquisition, following multiple changes in direction, creative reboots, and leadership departures. Darrah’s conclusion is therefore deeply pessimistic: “I suspect it will not happen for several reasons.” BioWare’s next Mass Effect was announced in 2020, but six years later, the studio has revealed little concrete information about it.
Source: 3DJuegos
