EA Advised to Emulate Larian for Success

Former BioWare developers have voiced their opinions on the underperformance of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and EA's CEO Andrew Wilson's subsequent comments. Wilson attributed the game's failure to not resonate with a wide enough audience, a statement made during an EA financial call where the company revealed Dreadwolf engaged only 1.5 million players, significantly below projections.

This followed a BioWare restructuring, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, resulting in staff transfers and layoffs. The game's development had already been plagued by challenges, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel, as previously reported by IGN and Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. Schreier's reporting indicated BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

Wilson suggested that future BioWare RPGs require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to achieve broader appeal. Many interpreted this as implying that Dreadwolf should have incorporated multiplayer aspects. However, as IGN highlighted, the game underwent a significant development reboot, shifting from a planned multiplayer structure to a single-player experience.

Former BioWare employees took to social media to share their perspectives. David Gaider, former narrative lead on Dragon Age, criticized EA's takeaway from Dreadwolf's performance, arguing that simply adding live-service elements is short-sighted. He advocated for EA to emulate Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3, focusing on the core strengths of the Dragon Age franchise that previously drove strong sales.

Mike Laidlaw, another former Dragon Age creative director, expressed that he would have resigned if pressured to fundamentally alter a successful single-player IP into a purely multiplayer game.

The outcome appears to be the shelving of future Dragon Age projects, with BioWare fully committed to Mass Effect 5, a decision reflected in the significant downsizing of the studio, as noted by EA CFO Stuart Canfield. Canfield highlighted the shifting industry landscape and the need to prioritize high-potential projects.