The creative director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has reacted to statements from EA’s leadership suggesting the game would have been more successful as a live-service version. Initially set to include live elements, the game transitioned to a single-player format during its protracted development.

Fans celebrated the October 2024 release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but it only managed to sell 1.5 million copies, falling short of EA’s sales expectations. Following positive early reviews, the game faced backlash regarding its writing and perceived ‘woke’ elements, drawing criticism compared to its predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition.
In response to EA’s comments, Laidlaw remarked:

“Look, I’m not a fancy CEO guy, but if someone said to me ’the key to this successful single-player IP’s success is to make it purely a multiplayer game…’ I’d probably, like, quit that job or something.”

In addition, Gaider criticized EA’s business strategy, emphasizing the need for the company to recognize what has historically attracted fans to the franchise.

Summary

• The director argues against the idea that a live-service model would boost the game’s success.
• Reflects on the game’s failure to meet EA’s sales targets.
• Concern grows among fans about the upcoming Mass Effect 5, which might adopt similar live-service elements.