EA CEO Says Dragon Age: The Veilguard Failed to 'Resonate With a Broad Audience,' Gamers Increasingly Want 'Shared-World Features'

EA CEO Andrew Wilson attributed the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to resonate with a broad audience. Following the game's disappointing sales, which fell nearly 50% short of projections, EA restructured BioWare, the game's developer, to focus solely on Mass Effect 5. This restructuring involved transferring some Veilguard staff to other EA studios.

IGN previously reported on Dragon Age: The Veilguard's troubled development, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff considered the game's completion a miracle given EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

In a recent investor call, Wilson suggested that future role-playing games require "shared-world features and deeper engagement" alongside strong narratives to broaden their appeal. He acknowledged the game's positive critical reception but emphasized its limited market reach. This statement implies that incorporating these features might have improved sales, a perspective complicated by EA's earlier decision to steer BioWare away from a multiplayer model towards a single-player RPG.

This interpretation has drawn criticism from fans who point to the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3, suggesting EA may have drawn the wrong conclusions. The future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield further elaborated on the BioWare restructuring, noting the downsizing of the studio to less than 100 people. He framed the decision within the context of a shifting industry landscape, emphasizing the need to prioritize high-potential opportunities.

It's important to note that single-player games contribute a small fraction to EA's overall revenue, which heavily relies on live-service titles (74% in the past year). Major contributors include Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims, with future titles like Skate and the next Battlefield also expected to follow this model.