BioWare veteran Mark Darrah, who departed the company in 2020 and later returned to finalize Dragon Age: The Veilguard, has been sharing his experiences in the gaming industry through videos. Recently, he addressed the topic of project delays.

Darrah believes that when a delay is necessary, it’s often more effective to embrace a substantial delay rather than to continuously push through with multiple smaller ones.

He states, “If your game ends up being two years late, but you know it’s going to be two years late, that opens up your probability space massively.”

He argues that knowing the timeline allows developers to step back, reassess their decisions, and potentially alter their direction if needed.

Additionally, he reflects on the difficulties faced when delays come in small increments, indicating that this makes it harder to pivot when a project derails.

Darrah’s perspective may resonate particularly with the development of DA: The Veilguard, which has encountered numerous challenges since its inception in 2015.

In summary, Darrah emphasizes that sometimes the best course of action involves taking a step back and reassessing, even if it feels like sacrificing progress in the short term.