I'm back with another news roundup, this time with February’s updates on the next Dragon Age project and BioWare’s future. We’ve got a lot to talk about today, so booting this off, let’s delve into what I would consider to be the most exciting news update in Dragon Age 4’s history so far, and that is the removal of next Dragon Age’s multiplayer component.
Single Player Dragon Age:
That’s right, Dragon Age 4 is going to be strictly single-player, but don’t just take my word for it, let’s get into this story.
According to Jason Schreier via Bloomberg, Electronic Arts have made a major pivot on the next game in the popular Dragon Age series, allowing the developers to remove all planned multiplayer components from the game, according to people familiar with the matter.
Jason share that the next Dragon Age, which doesn’t yet have an official title or release date, had previously been designed with a heavy multiplayer component, said the people, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the press. In recent months, it has transformed into a single-player-only game after EA was stung by a recent multiplayer flop.
EA announced the new Dragon Age in 2018 but has not shared many details since then. Behind the scenes, the game has been in flux, game website Kotaku has reported. During development, some members of BioWare’s leadership team fought to pivot the next Dragon Age back to a single-player-only game, according to the people familiar with the discussions.”
Jason summarised that this decision was made after Chief Executive Officer Andrew Willson and other executives changed their minds following Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a single-player game that released in November 2019 that won critical acclaim and outperformed EA’s sales expectations, reaching more than 10 million players in its first four months. The second was BioWare’s Anthem, a multiplayer game that was widely panned when it launched. The games showed that single-player games could still be lucrative and that BioWare, traditionally known for its single-player, role-playing games, might be better off returning to its roots. A spokesman for EA declined to comment.
This is the best news we’ve ever received on the future of the next Dragon Age, and I’m just filled with excitement knowing that we don’t need to think about live service elements and multiplayer components for the next game, it’s just going to be single-player like the franchise has always been and I’m just so relieved to hear this news.
Honestly, this is the news we needed to hear, while I was reluctantly open to the idea of a live-service Dragon Age with a multiplayer component - it’s just not what any of us wanted and expected for the next Dragon Age. So, I’m incredibly happy to hear that the next game is going to be strictly single-player and we don’t need to worry about live service or multiplayer components ever again. BioWare can just focus on creating the best narrative-based single-player experience.
That said, I want to comb over more details revealed in this article.
Jason specifically wrote that BioWare will ‘remove all planned multiplayer components from the game’, this makes me wonder many things - are BioWare removing the already-existed live-service components, or have they been cancelled before implementation into the project? How much of the current project is a single-player experience, and how much work is it to remove the multiplayer elements? Of course, all rhetorical questions, but ones that I imagine have been discussed within BioWare.
I personally don’t think the removal of this multiplayer component is a soft-reboot of the entire project, I think the developers already have a single-player vertical slice of the next game, and perhaps they were working on adding live service and multiplayer to that, but leadership were able to change the project and keep it strictly single-player.
As we know, thanks to Jason Schreier’s 2019 article on The Past And Present Of Dragon Age 4, he reported that many of the BioWare developers “know (the project is) going to change like five times in the next two years.”
Even further, in 2019, BioWare were still working out how to incorporate live service and multiplayer into Dragon Age. Jason Schreier stated that he heard some ideas for the next Dragon Age’s multiplayer included companions that could be controlled by multiple players via drop-in/drop-out co-op, similar to old-school BioWare RPGs like Baldur’s Gate, and quests that could change based not just on one player’s decisions, but on the choices of players across the globe. But truthfully the team didn’t know what it would look like.
So, there’s no way of knowing at the moment, we don’t know the full extent of what has been implemented into the working project, however, we do know that the game is sharing Anthem’s codebase, so perhaps, the removal of multiplayer is a matter of changing some approaches to the engine? Maybe making the online servers private? I can only guess.
But, regardless of whatever was planned, it’s being removed. Dragon Age 4 has taken a huge shift in its development.
And, since this transformation of an exclusive single-player Dragon Age was made within recent months, we’ve got to touch on Mark Darrah and Casey Hudson who respectively resigned in December, they believed they were stepping away from the project knowing that it would be okay and in safe hands. Surely, they knew, and probably fought for a Dragon Age game designed to be strictly single-player.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me. The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive.” (Mark Darrah).
Adding more to that, it really is incredible to see that key staff in leadership roles at BioWare were fighting for a single-player Dragon Age 4, the fact that many developers were listening and fighting for what the fans want, and, probably want they themselves want to create.
On top of that, Jason tweeted that despite this single-payer push made my key developers, there are also people at BioWare who very much wanted DA4 to be a multiplayer service game. Reality is never as simple as "EA wants X; BioWare wants Y."
“BTW I should elaborate on one thing. Although some people within BioWare have been pushing for this, as the story says, there are also people at BioWare who very much wanted DA4 to be a multiplayer service game. Reality is never as simple as "EA wants X; BioWare wants Y."
I don’t take that as a resentful thing, I think the idea of a Dragon Age multiplayer would be great, and it’s good for developers to do new things and push boundaries, but right now with Dragon Age’s pressing, omelette cracking narrative – the focus on a single-player entry is what we all need.
Carrying on with more thoughts, one of the sad things about this rework is that Mike Laidlaw left the studio after project ‘Joplin’ was canned, a Dragon Age entry about spies in Tevinter with a huge emphasis on player reactivity and choices with consequences. ‘Joplin’ was cancelled so the next entry known as ‘Morrison’ could add live service and multiplayer.
With ‘Morrison’ now being a single-player game, it’s going to be interesting to see if this project follows a lot of what ‘Joplin’ had planned, or if it becomes something different. Even so, I do feel sorry for the teams who worked on ‘Joplin.’
In any event, it’s so good to have that security over the next Dragon Age. I know for a fact, a mighty burden has been lifted across the entire fandom, so thank you so much to the leadership who fought for this change.
Shifting tones, we’ve got to discuss what’s happening with the Anthen Next reboot and what it means for Dragon Age 4.
Anthem Next Cancelled:
For the uninitiated, Anthem was undergoing a reboot with a small team at BioWare Austin since 2019, however, at the start of February this year, according to Jason Schreier, EA were reviewing the progress of Anthem Next, with the intention of deciding what happens and whether the team should be expanded with funding, or if the project should be put to an end.
“For the last year and a half, BioWare has been in "incubation" mode overhauling the maligned online game Anthem. This week, EA will review the progress of "Anthem Next" and decide whether to expand the team or put an end to the project.”
On February 24th, BioWare officially confirmed their decision regarding Anthem Next. In the spirit of transparency and closure, Christian Dailey shared a few words in a new post on the BioWare blog, Christian previously was the Executive Producer of the Anthem Next project, however, in December he was shuffled to the Dragon Age team following Mark Darrah’s departure.
Christian Dailey shared that 2020 was a year unlike any other, however, and while we continue to make progress against all our game projects at BioWare, working from home during the pandemic has had an impact on our productivity and not everything we had planned as a studio before COVID-19 can be accomplished without putting undue stress on our teams.
“I know this will be disappointing to the community of Anthem players who have been excited to see the improvements we’ve been working on. It’s also disappointing for the team who were doing brilliant work. And for me personally, Anthem is what brought me to BioWare, and the last two years have been some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career.”
“Game development is hard. Decisions like these are not easy. Moving forward, we need to laser focus our efforts as a studio and strengthen the next Dragon Age, and Mass Effect titles while continuing to provide quality updates to Star Wars: The Old Republic.”
Continuing from this, Andy McNamara, Director of Comms Strategy at Electronic Arts shared on Twitter: “I see people ripping BioWare for this, and I know I can’t change that, but covid has been a global challenge and these types of decisions aren’t easy for them. Anyway, less hate. More hope. Folded hands I am saddened about Anthem but the teams are hard at work on some amazing stuff.”
BioWare’s Future:
Even further, Chief Studio Officer Laura Miele was interviewed by IGN about Anthem's cancellation and the direction EA are taking.
Miele said: "As I started this current role, I wanted to strip away some of the preconceived notions about what games we should be investing in and really start listening to players and incorporating their voice into our development process. Since then, we have announced a slate of games that players asked for: a new Skate, College Football, a Command & Conquer remaster, the Mass Effect Trilogy and we developed free content in Battlefront 2 for several years to turn the perception of that game completely around."
Regarding Anthem’s cancellation, Miele said that ultimately the studio needed to allocate its time and resources to franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and that the COVID-19 pandemic made it especially difficult to make the game into what players wanted.
Miele shared further about being player-focused doesn't mean "making everyone happy 100% of the time." She pointed back to Star Wars: Battlefront 2, where EA DICE were able to take their time to turn the game around from its original form, which players were unhappy with.
In summary, while not everyone is happy with Anthem’s cancellation, BioWare are able to have a laser-focus on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect, which is, fair to say, what a lot of fans want at the moment. Personally, I feel for the developers who’ve poured their hearts into this project, and I admire the chance that BioWare took to create a brand-new I.P separate from Mass Effect and Dragon Age - the teams took a risk and I think we can all respect that they tried to do something original, however, unfortunately, it hasn’t panned out as intended.
I suppose the silver-lining from this scenario is that BioWare have learned a lot from Anthem’s development, and the developers are able to bring that into the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect going forward. Not to mention, more hands on deck for BioWare’s next titles is great to see.
EA’s Earnings Call:
Moving on from Anthem’s cancellation, and delving into BioWare’s future, earlier in February, EA had an earnings call discussing their plans up till Q3 2021. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson shared a fair amount on BioWare’s future:
“On BioWare again, that is an incredible studio filled with incredible people who do incredible work. And I think that from the outside wall, there have been some blips in their delivery over the last couple of years, but that has come as a result of them pushing deeply into innovation and creativity. And we feel very, very confident about their future road map, and we’ve talked about games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect in their future.”
“With respect to Casey and Mark leaving, again, both good friends of mine. We have tremendous respect for both of them. But this happens in the natural course of creative organizations from time to time. And we feel very, very good about the ongoing leadership of that studio and the many people who come to work every day to deliver great innovation and creativity.”
“We look forward to sharing more about what’s coming from BioWare in the near future. And you will have just seen our Mass Effect trilogy Legendary Edition announced, and that has been extraordinarily well received by BioWare fans. And so we’re encouraged by what the studio will continue to deliver.”
As a TLDR, Willson shared that BioWare have recognised the few blips in delivery over the past few years, but EA and BioWare are confident in its future roadmap. The new leadership team are taking the studio in a new direction, and overall EA feels good about ongoing success of BioWare and they plan to reveal more in the near future. So, all in all, things are looking up for BioWare and its future titles.
Mark Darrah final day at BioWare:
Moving on, back in December, when Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah decided to leave BioWare, the Edmonton Journal reported that Mark actually agreed to stay at BioWare until February to help with the role transition.
“Darrah has agreed to stay on until February to help with the transition.”
As of February 5th, Mark Darrah officially left BioWare having spent 23 years at the company. I know I speak for the fandom when I say that we deeply appreciate all the time, energy and love spent on Dragon Age, and we’re all wishing Mark well on his future.
Matthew Goldman 12 Days of Dragon Age:
Also at the start of the month, Creative Director Matthew Goldman shared that it was his 12th anniversary of working on Dragon Age. In celebration, Matthew revealed new Dragon Age concepts, ideas and insights that’ve been archived over the years.
One of Matthew’s most prominent posts was an image of the Dragon Age font that featured in the 2020 Game Awards trailer with its golden accents and circular designs.
Now, not to tinfoil everything, I’m just throwing this out there, but with this design looking like spheres overlapping, it reminds me of an eclipse, like the codex entry from The Emergent Compendium.
“Two shadowed spheres among stars subtitled”
“An eclipse as Fen'Harel stirred"
(Codex entry: The Emergent Compendium).
So, just for fun, I’m throwing Dragon Age: Eclipse out there as a potential title, I’m honestly quite fond of that. But let me know your title ideas down below, I’d love to hear them.
And the other more prominent post from Matthew Goldman regarded a cool image by Kafka_Sai that I’m not going to repost because it’s fanart, but it resembled the enigmatic figure in the Game Awards trailer, the one that we’re all speculated to be an agent of the Executors.
Well, Matthew said that this figure is the mysterious V.... archer. Veilfire, void, venatori, who knows. Maybe it’s an upside down triangle that represents the Executor’s again? I’m not going to spend too much time speculating on that one, however, we have somewhat of an indication on this already, extremely mysterious character. So that’s a plus!
“Thanks to @kalaelizabeth for pointing out this cool image by @Kafka_Sai ! Solas and mysterious V....... archer! That's the salty Moon Cherry on top”
Dark Fortress:
And finally, Dragon Age: Dark Fortress, the next set of comics continuing the plot since Knight Errant is almost here. In a mere month, we’re going to have more lore, character developments and content to delve into!
One of the amazing writers, Nunzio DeFilippis shared the third and final issue’s killer solicit text along with a release date. It read as followed:
“An epic battle-with epic consequences-unfolds as Fenris and a team of Inquisition agents confront the dark forces determined to impose their terrible will upon the world. Valor and sacrifice are the order of the day, and when it's all over, none will remain unchanged.”
Honestly, I can’t wait to delve into this, it sounds like we may have a huge character death, and I don’t think I’m going to be ready for that. But, I’m certainly ready for more content with Autumn, the best Mabari War Hound ever.
The final issue of Dark Fortress releases May 26th, 2021. So, get pre-ordering! As a reminder, issue one arrives in a month on March 31st, Issue two releases April 28th, and the final issue is May 26th. Very soon we’re going to have three months of Dragon Age content releasing, so jump on board with me for that and check out the latest comics.
But that’ll do it for today’s load of news, let me know your thoughts down below, how do you feel about a single-player Dragon Age, what are your thoughts on BioWare’s future, and please let’s respect the developers who’ve worked on Anthem and support them instead of throwing flack at them.
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