While we’re waiting for more significant news updates on the next Dragon Age, I figured I may as well recap all the previous Dragon Age 4 trailers we’ve had so far, breaking them all down together in one structured video with updated news and more speculation.
We’ve got a long road ahead of us until the next game releases, so why not put on the tinfoil hat and obsess over the next game’s trailers again. Who knows, I might’ve missed something the first time I broke these trailers down, and I feel like we might find more insights within each trailer when compared to the other.
So, booting this off, let’s delve into and dissect all the previous Dragon Age 4 trailers we’ve received so far from 2018 - 2020.
The Dread Wolf Rises:
At The Game Awards 2018, December 6th, BioWare unveiled their first official trailer-teaser for the next working Dragon Age title, codenamed #TheDreadWolfRises. I remember this reveal like it was yesterday, the sheer joy of the fandom knowing that the next Dragon Age title was in the works having been absent for many years - it was bliss, the announcement alone was exhilarating.
I still believe today that this trailer was created for the hardcore fanbase of Dragon Age given its title, because if you didn’t know what Dragon Age was, or anything about the Dread Wolf, and you watched this trailer, you could’ve totally passed it up as a completely different game entirely.
While #TheDreadWolfRises is seemingly not the official title for the next game, it's certainly a great ode to the fans on what to expect for the narrative going forward. Speaking of which, while incredibly enigmatic, the main takeaways from this trailer are the three main story beats enveloped in a new Solas painted mural. I won’t speculate too much considering this mural is three-year old concept art, and may not be indicative of the plot as much, but I’ll at least touch on a few ancient tinfoils.
The first story beat regarded Solas and the Dread Wolf, as Solas confronted the beast with the red lyrium idol at the centre of this mural.
This confrontation could metaphorically show Solas’s internal conflict going forward like pride versus wisdom or, among other things, it could visually represent Solas’s transformation into the Dread Wolf - reflecting the moment he physically and literally transformed into this terrifying beast. Tevinter Nights confirmed that Solas can and has risen as the Dread Wolf in the Fade - with that - I feel like this mural is indicating more than just the Dread Wolf’s awakening.
There’s another theory that the Dread Wolf has been a separate form of Solas since he sundered the elven people from themselves when he created the Veil. Considering that Solas split the elves’s reality, perhaps in doing so, Solas also sundered himself, and therefore, the Dread Wolf has been a separate entity from Solas until he took Mythal’s power to rise again at the end of Inquisition. If true, this mural could represent Solas confronting the Dread Wolf as a separate entity, to become one once again - more on this theory in my next lore video.
There’s a small bit of symbolism with the red circle over Solas and the Dread Wolf’s eyes - both are red, very much like red lyrium. Perhaps Solas will become tainted in his journey to attempt to destroy the Veil?
Furthermore, there are many prophecies throughout Dragon Age, one of the most foreboding one’s has been Sandal’s as he said: “The shadows will part, and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see.”
And then we have the Emergent Compendium’s prophecy, which stated: “Two Shadowed Spheres, An eclipse as Fen'Harel stirred.”
Both prophecies tie into the second story beat which is the future blights. Perhaps the Dread Wolf has risen once two shadowed spheres created an eclipse? Could these shadowed spheres be the two sleeping Old Gods? The tambourine in the middle of the mural has five greyed out semi-circles with two still lit, representing the five defeated Old Gods and the two still remaining sixth and seventh Old Gods.
Are two blights going to be born at the same time? Is Solas going to start the blights prematurely, or is he even going to find an Old God before it's tainted? Based on this mural, there’s certainly something going on with the future blights and Solas’s scheme...
And, the third story beat regarded the red lyrium idol, the blasted relic that Hawke discovered in the Primeval Thaig with Varric and his brother Bartrand. Tevinter Nights confirmed that this idol actually belongs to Solas, and he has a plan for it - whatever that may be. We know that red lyrium weakens the Veil, maybe Solas will use the idol for that purpose?
Even so, Solas first needs to locate the idol as it’s been on a wild goose chase since it was taken from Meredith’s red lyrium corpse in Kirkwall.
Overall, perhaps the mural shows that Solas needs the red lyrium idol and the two remaining old gods for his scheme as he rises in his Dread Wolf form? The Dread Wolf Rises mural appeared again in BioWare's book of “Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development.” The caption of the mural stated: “One of Nick Thornborrow’s beautiful paintings showing an old friend with a shadowy threat!”
So, take that as you will... With the significant prominence of the red lyrium idol going forward - as a personal recommendation, you should certainly consider giving Dragon Age II another playthrough before the release of the next Dragon Age. Trust me, it’s better than you think it is.
In any event, the first trailer-tease for the next Dragon Age certainly pleased the fandom - knowing that there is another game coming in the future and it’s seemingly going to revolve around the Dread Wolf’s scheme to destroy the Veil and deal with the Evanuris. I feel like that was the overall message and purpose of this trailer, to confirm that the next game is in the works and Solas will feature heavily.
EA Play 2020 Teaser:
1 year, 6 months, and 12 days later, at EA Play 2020, June 18th, BioWare revealed a 12 second in-engine teaser of the next Dragon Age game in-progression. At the time, of course, I made a twelve minute video on twelve seconds of footage, which is very characteristic of my content, you expect nothing less from me I hope. The three environmental shots showcased a cursed, ravishing tree with a gloomy atmosphere, a flooded castle with red lyrium and blight, and a huge red lyrium enigma surrounded by corrupted fungus.
The environments were extremely detailed and radiated dark fantasy themes, at least for this area. The lighting, graphical fidelity, blooms, shadows, depth of field, and upscaled textures, each add to this darker, spooky mood. Also representing the Frostbite engine’s technological improvements. I wonder if BioWare are utilising the fourth iteration of the Frostbite engine, that Battlefield 6 is supposedly built on?
Regarding any potential story beats, the ravishing tree was shown in the Dragon Age 4 Game Awards 2020 trailer meaning that this area has more significance already - it may be more than just a prototype. In the Game Awards trailer, the area was shown with an illusive “V” archer-figure killing darkspawn. I’ve speculated that this figure was an Executor agent, which could relate to their whereabouts in Northern Thedas.
Even so, the architecture of the strongholds do appear to be Ferelden in design, which begs more questions. Where exactly is this area, geographically? Or are BioWare reusing Inquisition assets for this prototype area?
Within the environments - the growth and corrosion of red lyruim is very apparent - red lyrium carries the blight onto anything that is living. This area has been completely corrupted of its natural life.
Not to mention, the red lyrium enigma which is stood in the middle of corrupted fungi - is this the source of the area’s corruption? If so, what is it? Could it be a Titan vein or heart, perhaps, an aspect of a Titan? Maybe not just any Titan, but a blighted Titan? Only BioWare knows…
The Gamescom 2020 trailer featured a few prototype shots of environments that have many similarities to the EA Play area. Once more showing how expansive this area actually is.
As it currently stands, these environmental shots are early prototypes that represent the first actual in-game look of the next Dragon Age. And; so far, it looks stunning, and that tree, as always, is looking damn fine. The purpose behind this in-engine reveal was to tease a sample of what to expect going forward from BioWare’s next Dragon Age, nothing more, nothing less.
Gamescom 2020 Behind-The-Scenes Trailer:
2 months and 9 days later, at Gamescom 2020 on August 27th, BioWare surprisingly dropped an in-depth behind the scenes look at the next Dragon Age project. This incredible trailer showed many gameplay prototypes, concept artwork-pieces and next-gen footage that demonstrated the development and production of the next Dragon Age. So far, this trailer has been my favourite, not just because of all the amazing work shown, but because I really liked seeing the developers who’re spending everyday working incredibly hard on the next installment, it felt a lot more like a developer diary, and I loved that style.
The first highlight of this trailer was, of course, the amount of stunning concept art revealed, each piece building many moods, themes, story threads and narrative beats that may reflect and inspire the overall vision of the next Dragon Age game.
Speculatively, the many concept art pieces showcased imagery like:
Antiva and The Antivan Crows.
Dwarven thaigs and The Deep Roads.
The Anderfels, Grey Wardens, and a Grey Warden Fortress.
The Tevinter Imperium.
The Lords of Fortune.
The Executors.
The Qun.
Nevarra City, and it’s Grand Necropolis.
The Blight, Red Lyrium and Darkspawn.
Heists and espionage situations.
Ancient Elves.
Lovecraftian beings.
And, of course, the Dread Wolf.
As a reminder, concept art is used to create a mood, not to out-rightly confirm things, but for a framework. While some concepts will excite us, don’t get attached just yet because things most certainly will change.
For example, this trailer showcased a concept art piece of what I thought to be a sea creature known as a Cetus, however, this piece was iterated on and revealed again in BioWare’s book of “Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development.” The caption of this new piece revealed it to be an evil god. So, while fun speculation is always grand, remember not to set any expectations for the next game based on concept art.
The second highlight of this trailer was seeing a few of the amazing Dragon Age developers sharing their own insights regarding the next Dragon Age game’s vision and development. For the sake of speed, I’ve grouped the developers depending on their job positions.
Management:
Dragon Age developers in management positions shared that the next Dragon Age will use next generation technology to bring the world and characters of Dragon Age to life. In the next Dragon Age, we’re getting an opportunity to see new things, new places, and interact with people who lived and grew up in these new spaces as well. Something we’ll be able to look forward to in the next Dragon Age are really close relationships with game characters who become real for you.
Casey Hudson (Former General Manager): “We’ve been using next generation technology to bring the world and characters of Dragon Age to life. We’re still in early production.”
Mark Darrah (Former Executive Producer): “In the next Dragon Age, we get an opportunity to see new things, new places, and interact with people who lived and grew up in these spaces as well.”
Jen Cheverie (Assoc. Producer): “Something we’ll be able to look forward to in Dragon Age is a really close relationship with game characters who really become real for you.”
Writers:
A few of the Dragon Age writers shared that this time around BioWare wants to tell a very different story about what happens when you don’t have power, what happens when the people in charge aren’t willing to address the issues. Players want suspension of their disbelief, to believe that the bunch of pixels that make up these characters are actually a living, breathing soul.
Patrick Weekes (Lead Writer): “For the game we’re working on now, we want to tell a story – what happens when you don’t have power, what happens when the people in charge aren’t willing to address the issues.”
Slyvia Feketekuty (Writer): “Players want that suspension of disbelief that this wonderful collection of digital pixels is actually a living breathing soul.”
Designers:
Some of the Dragon Age designers spoke about creating big threats we’ll go up against and using motion-matching technology to ensure that characters will be as realistic as possible, and ultimately, choice making in Dragon Age means owning your outcome and reactivity to the choices that you will make.
Melissa Janowicz (Former Gameplay Designer): “We’re very experimental here at BioWare, so we’re always coming up with new stuff. I actually design bosses; I help with the creature design team as well. So, I do all of the big threats you have to go up against.”
Esther Ko (Lead Creature Animator): “BioWare and EA have been one of the forerunners in using motion matching technology, and that makes it way more realistic for when you're looking at the characters, the way they walk and move, and interact in the world.”
Katrina Barkwell (RPG Programmer): “Decision-making can mean that a party member lives, or a party member dies. And it means owning your outcome and reactivity to the choices that you do make.”
Directors:
A few of the developers in director roles shared that Dragon Age is all about mystery, and hard-boiled detective stories, all wrapped up in a fantasy setting with an original world. The things we can expect in the next instalment are going to be stories that focus on the people around you, and the friends and family you make. BioWare wants characters to either be loved or hated, the best example of that is Solas. Half of the community wants to kill him, half the people want to marry him, then another part wants to do both. And, finally, choice is a big part of what Dragon Age is as a franchise, the decisions you make will affect change in the world.
Matthew Goldman (Creative Director): “The world of Dragon Age has really got it all, it’s got frontier stories, it’s got mystery, it’s got hard-boiled detective stories. And of course, it’s all wrapped up in kind of a fantasy setting. This is an original world, original flora, original wildlife, original architecture, that makes it fun to explore and discover.”
John Epler (Narrative Director): “The things you can expect in the next instalment are going to be stories that focus on the people around you, and the friends and family you make. I just love the possibilities that Dragon Age offers us, and I’m excited to explore a lot more of them.”
Jon Renish (Foundation Technical Director): “We want characters to either be loved or hated, one of the best examples of that is Solas. Half of the community wants to kill him, half the people want to marry him, then another part wants to do both.”
Andre Garcia (Gameplay Director): “Choice is a big part of what Dragon Age is as a franchise, the decisions you make can affect change in the world.”
The third highlight of this trailer was the confirmation of two voice actors and the characters they are playing.
Jee Young Han is playing a character called “Bellara.” Considering she has an American accent, and in the trailer her character said: “No no no, it’s okay, that’s the good kind of rumble.” She’s most likely playing as a new lady dwarf.
Ike Amadi is playing a character called “Davrin”. In the trailer, he shouted: “nobody dies on my watch, for the Wardens!” With that, we can assume Davrin is a new Grey Warden.
Other final features highlighted in this trailer are as followed:
Spider with hands revealed BioWare’s direction of new threats to face.
The in-engine shots showcased the next-gen improved fidelity and quality of the Frostbite engine.
Facial animations using motion-matching tech indicated more realistic and life-like animations and scenes.
Early prototypes of gameplay showed preliminary combat of a warrior evading, blocking, shield bashing, and preparing to strike.
In summary, while this behind-the-scenes trailer showed many aspects of the next Dragon Age’s production, a lot of the work that was revealed was early concepts and ideas, which meant that not many things were outrightly confirmed for the next game. The purpose of this trailer was to show-off the pre-production stages of the next game as a mood board, letting the fandom have many ideas of the direction BioWare are taking for the next game.
The Game Awards 2020 Trailer:
3 months and 13 days later, at The Game Awards 2020 on December 10th, with much anticipation and an official confirmation from BioWare that the next Dragon Age would be shown at the event, BioWare dropped a beautiful-cinematic trailer teasing characters, locations and factions we’ll discover in the next Dragon Age.
The YouTube description of this trailer stated:
“The world of Dragon Age needs a new hero – someone who can take on the evil forces threatening Thedas. Get a first look at some of the new locations you’ll discover and the factions fighting by your side in the next chapter of Dragon Age.”
Taking that description into account, the cinematic trailer had many story beats going forward, it featured The Anderfels, Tevinter and Antvia heavily as official settings in the next game. Speculatively, Minrathous and Antiva City were showcased as main city hubs. Also, the ravishing, haunting tree environment was witnessed again since the EA Play 2020 tease.
Many ominous figures in compromising scenarios were shown, each of these characters seemingly represented the factions going forward in the next game. Speculatively, these factions were: the Grey Wardens, the Antivan Crows, the Tevinter Siccari or an anti-slavery movement in Tevinter, and the Executors.
Varric narrated throughout the trailer's entirety, he spoke on finding a new hero, someone they’ll never see coming. As well as confirming that he’ll make somewhat of an appearance in the next game, as demons, dragons, darkspawn and even the Dread Wolf stand in our new hero's way.
“I’ve faced tyrants and would-be gods. Seen friends lose life and limb, but there’s always someone bent on breaking the world. It’s time for a new hero. No magic hand, no ancient prophecy. The kind of person they will never see coming. We’ve got your back, I’ve got your back. Demons, dragons, darkspawn, even the Dread Wolf. This is your story.”
I’ve been wondering for a while if the new hero will have the ability to join one of these major factions witnessed, like a return to origin stories. In any event, the factions shown will be present in the next game and the new hero will be someone that Solas would never suspect.
Towards the end of the trailer, a new mural painted by Solas was revealed. For obvious reasons, I've started calling this new mural: “The Dread Wolf Unveiled.”
This new mural depicted two evil gods and the destruction of the Veil. As we know, many evil gods have Thedas in their sights, it just depends which gods we’re talking about - this is Dragon Age, after all. Could these two figures be the Elven Gods? The Old Gods? Untainted Old Gods? Other new, evil gods? Place your bets.
The mural showed the Dread Wolf with six blazing ice-blue eyes bursting through the Black City which is imbued in... red lyrium? We can see the Dread Wolf has destroyed the Veil by the representation of the spheres that have exploded with a roaring fire. With its destruction, the Fade and the waking world of Thedas have become one. As Solas once said, with the world burning in the raw chaos, he could then restore the time of the elves.
Given that this mural’s events haven’t happened yet and Solas likes to paint his next plan, legit, as writing on the wall. I wonder if The Dread Wolf Rises mural is the precursor to the events of this new mural. If so, perhaps The Dread Wolf Rises mural showcases Solas’s quest to rise as the Dread Wolf using the red lyrium idol and unleashing the two remaining Old Gods, and The Dread Wolf Unveiled mural showcases the events that Solas would like to occur once he’s risen as the Dread Wolf, and his plan of destroying the Veil and defeating the Evanuris has taken centre stage.
There’s been an order to Solas’s mural’s in the past, so I assume that's still the case going forward with these two trailer murals.
At the end of the trailer, artwork of an eclipse was revealed alongside the new gold Dragon Age title. Could these eclipses be indicative of the title, say perhaps, Dragon Age: Eclipse? I suppose only time will tell.
Varric ended the trailer, and said: “This is your story.” No doubt referring to the fact that the narrative will be shaped by our new hero’s choices and consequences.
The overall purpose and meaning behind this trailer has already been specified, it’s goal was to tease factions, characters and locations we’ll witness in the next Dragon Age. So far, it’s looking like a brand-new undertaking with a few familiar faces
And that was the latest trailer to be revealed, however, a new BioWare Blog launched after BioWare revealed both Dragon Age and Mass Effect teasers at The Game Awards. The blog shared that this Dragon Age trailer gave us a glimpse at the next story as well as some of its characters. The blog ended on the notion that BioWare are looking forward to sharing more on Dragon Age and Mass Effect in 2021, as well as other titles the team are working on.
So, we can expect to see more information on the next Dragon Age at some point this year. Hopefully, EA Play 2021 will indulge more details on the next game. If not, then there’s always the Game Awards, or Summer Game Fest. Either way, I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all the latest Dragon Age 4 news, so you don’t miss a thing.
I feel like you can expect more bundled trailer breakdown videos like this in the future, depending on how many more trailers we get before the next Dragon Age arrives.
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