Given the bittersweet news about BioWare rain-checking an appearance at EA Play 2021, I figured I may as well make the wait for the next game a little bit more bearable by breaking down and analysing more concept art pieces relating to potential, new locations in the next Dragon Age. To be fair, this isn’t going to be just rampant speculation because many locations have already been out rightly confirmed in recent trailers. So, let’s go over each of them and also speculate about a few other locations that may appear in the next Dragon Age based on concept art and gameplay prototypes.
Tevinter Imperium:
Of course, the most prominent location where the events of the next Dragon Age will undoubtedly unfold as confirmed by the Trespasser DLC and BioWare’s 25 years book. Tevinter has historically been known as the motherland of the ancient elves conquered by humans in recent ages, currently viewed as the most demonized nation throughout all of Thedas.
“Tevinter Bound – a sneak peek at the follow-up to Inquisition.”
“As BioWare entered its twenty-fifth year, the Dragon Age team was hard at work on Morrison, the code name of the long-awaited follow-up to Dragon Age: Inquisition. The game, helmed by executive producer Mark Darrah, will take players to Tevinter as events of Inquisition and Trespasser threaten to forever change Thedas.”
(BioWare’s Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development).
I’ll start by analysing the initial concept art pieces then I’ll move on to the cinematic trailer shots, bundling all the location concepts together.
This first concept landscape piece most certainly represents a potential aesthetic of Tevinter’s capital city, the beautiful, yet eerie magical utopia of Minrathous, home to the Magisterium.
So, how do I know this is Tevinter’s capital? Well, just like this concept art piece, Minrathous is a metropolis built on an island of rock not far from the shore of Tevinter’s land surrounded by waterfalls and the Nocen sea that spreads across the borders of the city. Both World of Thedas and comic depictions of Minrathous share many similarities to this concept piece, like its spiky, gothic Tevinter architecture, and the city’s unusual rock foundation, confirming that this concept piece is most assuredly an initial design of Minrathous.
The next Tevinter concept art piece showcases a slice of life in a hectic Tevinter marketplace. The snake iconography, gothic fashion sense, magical anomalies and gizmos denote Tevinter and its culture.
Many slaves are working, there are merchants selling unique magical items, magisters rushing past, and tiny little candle friends transferring scrolls. Not to mention, the dominating and creepy 8 foot magister wearing a long, thick black cloak, preparing to eat a snake. Here’s hoping the next hero can eat a snake while in Tevinter, that’d be a treat! This piece as an entity represents the mood inside the Imperium, rather than a specific location.
The following concept piece reveals a heist-like scenario with (what looks like) the next hero’s party dressed as Antivan Crows hijacking an elite Tevinter noble while in a hand-held carriage. Originally, I thought this concept art was located in Antiva given the Antivan Crows, however, with further inspection, this heist is going down in one of Tevinter’s cities.
The architecture of the building behind is most certainly Tevinter when compared to previous Tevinter buildings. There’s floating magical lanterns across the street and etched Tevinter keyhole designs on the walls, also, a few robed Tevinter magisters.
The large, lady noble in the hand-held carriage has a headpiece that resembles Archon Radonis’s very special headpiece. So, she’s clearly illustrated to be someone of significance in Tevinter society, perhaps an Altus?
The next concept piece resembles another heist-like mission, as the next hero and their party are sneaking through Tevinter backstreets, eavesdropping on that creepy magister-like figure from the marketplace concept art.
Given the architecture and this magister’s presence, I don’t need to explain too much why this concept piece is set in Tevinter. The most prominent question here is, who the heck is that magister, and are they more than just concept art because I’m already getting bad vibes from them...
Moving away from concept art, in the Game Awards 2020 trailer, we caught an official cinematic glimpse at Minrathous. Unlike its conceptual designs, Tevinter’s capital city has an incredible cyberpunk aesthetic.
There are many magical marvels and wonders in this cinematic shot of Minrathous. For instance, the magical neon lighting guiding civilians through the city, the extravagant and gothic buildings, and the haunting, floating structure that stands in the centre. I feel like the floating structure could be either Minrathous’s Circle of Magi, or the Archon’s Palace.
In Tevinter Nights, Dorian remarked that Minrathous was a city that never sleeps and we certainly get that vibe based on this cinematic look.
“No, it wasn’t just lanterns. I mean light. Glowing leaves. Dorian finished his glass. “They say Minrathous never sleeps,” he told me. “It does, but only when the sun rises and everyone needs a good break from all that exhausting skullduggery. What do you think of the gardens?” (Luck In The Gardens).
Another glimpse of Minrathous’s alleyways was shown, the neon lighting and dark, gloomy atmosphere are key highlights of the area.
Even further, concept art of an Imperium Witch set in very similar streets of Minrathous was revealed.
Matthew Goldman confirmed that this conceptual sneaky witch-thief was located in Minrathous.
Other than the character, this shot’s main highlights were the moods evoked by the red and blue colours linked to the cyberpunk theme, and the floating circular structure which can be seen above the Witch, as ever-present as it seems.
With that, so far that’s all the Tevinter-based concept locations and cinematic shots we’ve received. Let’s move on to the next major location indicated for Dragon Age 4.
Antiva:
The second-most prominent location that will feature heavily in the next Dragon Age thanks to its confirmation in recent trailers is the seafaring kingdom of Antiva - famous for its wine, guild of assassins, and rich merchant history.
“Antiva City...Where they say every man is a poet or a merchant prince, and treachery is the coin of the realm.” (Alistair).
This concept shot shows a very serene, untouched location that bears many similarities to Antiva with its regal, Disney-like architecture, calming atmosphere, lush greenery, picturesque skies and coastal setting.
Previous Dragon Age comic depictions of Antiva have showcased the nation’s capital, Antiva City, which is defined with its waterfront, mountainous-jagged terrain and sprawling ocean, each of these landmarks sharing a huge resemblance to this concept art piece.
The next concept art piece is a direct continuation from the previous artwork with a different angle. The orange picturesque skies are continued in this new piece, along with the same regal architecture, and jagged mountains in the background. The greenery is to the left, as more water has been revealed filling up the bottom half of the art piece. There are two ships floating along the side, once more showcasing Antiva’s seafaring culture.
The main focus of this piece is the beautiful, tall Disney-like castle that stands behind the docks, potentially this is Antiva City’s Royal Palace. Given that this mysterious Disney-like castle was seen again in the Game Awards trailer, it’s one of the biggest indicators that the Game Awards trailer and the early concept art are linked, as both are seemingly establishing Antiva City.
Even further, given the merchant history of the nation, the city’s gold accents, elegant architecture and regal designs prove that this location is Antiva City. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Game Awards trailer revealed an Antivan Crow atop city rooftops enjoying a goblet of wine confirming this locale’s setting.
And speaking of that Antivan Crow rooftop shot in particular, the Dragon Age day short story “The Wake” was about the remaining Antivan Crow Talons mourning the loss of their beloved friend atop the city heights of Antiva City, the official artwork of the story is almost the exact same shot as the cinematic reveal. Given that the story’s location was set in Antiva City, this link also confirms that this beautiful destination is most certainly Antiva City.
Just like Minrathous’s gothic and cyberpunk aesthetic, Antiva City displays its own astonishing and beautiful tone, quite the opposite of Tevinter. The saturation of orange and blue colours define this nation with its rivers that flow through the city, to its picturesque sky - Antiva City looks luxurious and grand, as one should expect from a kingdom ruled by rich merchants.
Exploring a few more concept pieces of Antiva for a moment, initially, I thought this landscape concept shot resembled Nevarra City, however, upon further inspection, I believe this landscape piece is expressing an initial concept design for Antiva.
My main theory for this regards the bauble-like designs, they’ve been seen throughout each of Antiva City’s concept pieces and in the most recent Antivan Crow faction concept art.
Also, many other aspects of the architecture look incredibly similar to the cinematic reveal of Antiva like a couple of the houses, the window designs, the mountainous terrain and the ocean in the distance.
It could certainly still be concept art for Nevarra, but at the moment, I feel like its an initial design for what Antiva City could look like. Even so, that’s the majority of the location concept pieces on Antiva, let’s move on to the next major location indicated for Dragon Age 4.
The Anderfels:
The third seemingly prominent location that we’ll see in the next Dragon Age are the Anderfels, a kingdom in north-western Thedas best known as the birthplace of the Grey Wardens.
The first location witnessed in the Game Awards trailer was a blazing desert landmass with rough sands, cobblestone, and huge puddles with adorable (and completely harmless) turtle monsters. No doubt, this location represents a first look at the Anderfels.
How can I tell? Well, World of Thedas depicts the Anderfels as bleak and blighted lands consisting of large deserts, hot summers and many uninhabited territories. And that’s exactly what this area is, a large, boiling desert with a Grey Warden approaching the reptiles.
With this Grey Warden witnessed in an arid desert and the representation of the Anderfels as the birthplace of the order, it’s completely understandable to say that this area is the Anderfels. A warrior Grey Warden concept art piece was revealed with a very mountainous, sandy terrain and a beautiful blue sky. Again, no doubt depicting the harsh lands of the Anderfels.
Taking a gander at more concept art, considering the majority of the Anderfels is uninhabited territory, there’s few places one would actually like to visit there, the most significant place would be Fortress Weisshaupt, the Grey Warden’s headquarters.
This concept art landscape of an archaic fortress built into the side of a mountain represents Fortress Weisshaupt in the Anderfels. There’s just no debating it, Fortress Weisshaupt was built on the edge of a jagged butte called Broken Tooth, made of stone, on a mountain surface, and this concept piece just matches that description perfectly.
“The fabled great fortress of Weisshaupt is built on the edge of a jagged butte called Broken Tooth in the southern Anderfels. During the height of the Wardens' power, the stone compound housed thousands alongside a thriving stable of griffons.”
There’s a Griffon statue to the left, signalling that this stronghold belongs to the Grey Wardens.
This next concept landscape showcases a Grey Warden watchtower looking over a vast valley of the Anderfels. The jagged rocks and mountains display a completely unique slice of Thedas that we’ve never experienced before. To the right, it looks like blankets of snow are lay on the higher rocks overlooking this valley.
The next concept shot looks like it could be a potential interior of Fortress Weisshaupt, as a Grey Warden stands proud over a war table with the Grey Warden Griffon flags hanging above.
Moving on, that’s all the Anderfels-based concept locations and cinematic shots we’ve received so far. Let's move on to the next potential location indicated for an appearance in Dragon Age 4.
Nevarra:
Thedas’s central nation that is best known for its unique treatment of death, strong royal dynasties, and all things to do with the arts, and trade.
I’ve got to say, I’m not sure if Nevarra will certainly appear in the next Dragon Age, unlike Tevinter, Antiva and the Anderfels, it seems like Nevarra wasn’t in the Game Awards trailer confirming locations for the next game, however, that doesn’t rule it out completely, I’m sure parts of Nevarra will appear in the next game as there is one concept art piece regarding the nation.
Before I crack into it, this concept piece was thankfully confirmed in BioWare’s 25 years book, it showcases the Mortalitasi’s Mourn Watch guarding Thedas from occult threats in their Grand Necropolis.
For the uninitiated, briefly, the Mortalitasi are Nevarran death mages who’re responsible for looking after the nation’s dead by mummifying, housing and displacing a spirit on to their elite’s corpses in a big crypt called the Grand Necropolis that resides in Nevarra City.
The Mourn Watchers are an old fraternity who serve as elite guardians and keepers of the Grand Necropolis and its sacred repository of the dead.
“There are others among the Mortalitasi who do other work—the Guides of the Path to shepherd the corpses, the Mourn Watch to deal with magic gone awry—but those who do as I do, who bind the Fade and the world beneath it to their will.” (Tevinter Nights).
While there’s no confirmation or official look at Nevarra, or its Grand Necropolis, I can imagine the next hero may pop into Nevarra City for a quick spell or two.
Onwards with the speculation, now that I’ve covered four main nations of Northern Thedas, I have three more specific and non-specific locations that may or may not appear in Dragon Age 4. However, they’ve each been hinted at with concept art, stories and gameplay prototype shots.
Arlathan Forest:
East of Tevinter lies the abandoned Arlathan Forest, a woodland landscape named after the ancient elven capital city, Arlathan. Thanks to the Dragon Age day short story “Ruins Of Reality”, there’s an official look at the Arlathan Forest which shares many similarities to a few other concept art pieces.
The forest is vibrant and has many autumn colours. Just like the speculated Executor agent concept piece, which has a rock landscape and magically floating elements.
Which looks very similar to the elven encampment which has an autumn appeal, floating structures and elven ties.
And the hooded, potentially Executor agents share this vibrant area’s aesthetic, exactly matching the same tone as all four images.
So, given that each has an autumn forest aesthetic, elven ties and a magical element to them, do they represent concept art of the Arlathan Forest? Well, only BioWare truly knows, but Strife’s artwork officially represents the Arlathan Forest’s aesthetic.
The Deep Roads:
This concept piece was also thankfully confirmed in BioWare’s 25 years book, which states that it’s the Deep Roads..
Whether or not we’ll be going back is a question of how much do you want to place your bets on concept art, however, I imagine there may be some sort of Deep Roads element, they are underground tunnels that sprawl throughout the land of Thedas with many thaigs still to uncover. Which brings me to the next conceptual location
Dwarven Thaigs:
More than just concept art, in-engine shots of Dwarven locations have been revealed, brand-new models too, not just re-used Inquisition assets. Many Dwarven thaigs linger in Thedas, like the mysteries of what happened to Kal-Sharok, and the horrors of Hormak.
Surely, the next hero is going to uncover a thaig, visit Kal-Sharok, or have dealings with other dwarven legends in the North of Thedas. I will say that these prototype shots are certainly quite promising for everyone wanting more dwarven lore in the next game.
Moving on to a completely enigmatic location...
The Snowy Red Lyrium Executor Ravishing Tree Area?
The location of this area is an enigma. Understandably, it’s an early prototype of a game that’s been in production for 17 months. Even so, I am adamant on cracking the mystery of this area’s whereabouts before the next game comes out. Mark my words.
This locale was first revealed at EA Play 2020, the gloomy, midnight snow graveyard with infected red lyrium and Ferelden architecture. More prototype shots of the area were revealed in the Gamescom BTS trailer. And again in the Game Awards trailer as this mysterious V archer walked through the heavy snow and killed a darkspawn.
For reasons unknown, this area has been revealed the most, hell, Mark Darrah posted a small picture of this landscape back in 2019, it's the first ever official look on the next Dragon Age and locating its potential whereabouts remains my life goal.
Apparently, it could be anywhere close to the equator where it can snow, like southern Tevinter, northern Nevarra, or it could literally be anywhere in the mountains. But, the Ferelden architecture really throws me.
The other shots that seem to be connected to this area show an Andraste statue with red lyrium surrounding the area.
Another concept art piece of a red lyrium imbued darkspawn with a massive war axe is also in this same area, as it’s the exact same moonlight, snow atmosphere and the Andraste statue is behind this scary chap.
I also feel like the area is connected to the happy mountain being, it’s the same environment and ambience. But again, where is it?
Maybe it’s in-between the Anderfels and Tevinter considering there’s snow in parts of the Anderfels, and Kal-Sharok is in-between the two nations which could explain our happy mountain friend.
But honestly, I’m not sure and I want to throw this one at you all because I would like a better clue at the whereabouts of this area. It’s something to do while we respectfully and patiently wait for BioWare to create the next epic Dragon Age title, so let me know all your thoughts on these locations, and also where else you’d like to explore in the next game.
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