Mark Darrah, the former executive producer of Dragon Age, recently shared insights in an interview indicating that Dragon Age: Origins was designed to be a standalone experience. He explained that the game allowed players to influence the world significantly, creating storylines that could have expanded further if it wasn’t intended to be the last game in the series.

“Dragon Age: Origins originally was intended as a standalone game. You can see this, if you play it knowing that it was supposed to stand alone. There are many threads left hanging because we were not destined to return to that world.”

This freedom came to a halt when the game’s success led to financial promises for sequels, transforming the initial vision into a sprawling franchise with complications, notably as its narrative grew more convoluted over the years.

Darrah claims that financial motivations drove the shift in direction, emphasizing that the original creators did not foresee having to cater sequels to the expectations formed from Origins. The legacy of this decision continues to impact Dragon Age, particularly in its recent releases, which struggle to connect players with the decisions of past games.