It appears that the horizon is dimming for Dragon Age as Veilguard falls short of expectations even after years in the making. With EA seemingly learning the wrong lessons and major layoffs affecting senior talent, the future seems uncertain.

David Gaider, who was instrumental in creating the series but departed BioWare in 2016 post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, shares two significant observations. First, it’s not surprising that EA was unsure about how to handle Dragon Age. Second, and more surprising, is that BioWare was noticeably divided into two rival factions around 2010-2016, leading to a certain level of resentment.

In a recent Bluesky post, Gaider discusses how leaving Dragon Age for the Mass Effect team felt like a wrong turn for him. He states that after experiencing the exhaustive production of Dragon Age: Inquisition, he moved to support a new project that ended up being Anthem, though he later realized this transition was not ideal.

Gaider describes BioWare’s workspace as historically divided, almost like rival high school cliques. Each team had its distinct culture, leading to continual friction and a lack of cooperation. Although management was aware of this issue, efforts to resolve it, such as moving team members between projects, failed to change dynamics.

He notes, “The team didn’t want me there. At all.” Such environments are challenging; thus, Gaider recalls a time when he constantly faced criticism for his work being labeled ‘too Dragon Age’ while navigating a team that didn’t share that vision.

He further analyzes how the Mass Effect division was consistently favored by EA, stating that “If you ask me, it was always just shy of the axe since DA Origins.” This has resulted in a further uncertain future for the Dragon Age series as EA’s leadership seems not to understand the root causes of past failures.

As the industry watches and waits, it remains to be seen how EA and BioWare manage their beloved franchises amid significant internal and external challenges.