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

EA's Andrew Wilson attributes the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to its failure to connect with a wider audience. Last week's restructuring of BioWare, focusing solely on Mass Effect 5, saw personnel shifts following the game's disappointing sales. EA reported only 1.5 million players engaged with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, significantly below projections.

IGN previously documented The Veilguard's troubled development, including layoffs and the departure of key personnel. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, BioWare staff viewed the game's completion as a feat considering EA's initial push for live-service elements, later reversed.

Wilson, in an investor call, suggested future RPGs require "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to expand beyond the core fanbase. He acknowledged the game's positive critical reception but highlighted its limited audience reach in a competitive market. This statement implies that incorporating these features might have improved sales, a perspective complicated by EA's earlier mandated reboot of the Dragon Age franchise, transforming it from a planned multiplayer game to a single-player RPG.

Fan reaction suggests EA misinterprets the lessons from The Veilguard's failure, citing the success of recent single-player RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. The future of Dragon Age remains uncertain.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield linked BioWare's restructuring to the evolving industry landscape, emphasizing the reallocation of resources to high-potential projects like Mass Effect 5. This decision, reportedly reducing BioWare's staff to under 100, highlights the shift in EA's strategy.

It's crucial to note that single-player games represent a small fraction of EA's revenue. Live service games, particularly Ultimate Team, contribute significantly (74% in the past year), with titles like Apex Legends and The Sims also contributing. Future projects like Skate and the next Battlefield will likely follow this live-service model.