Dragon Age’s latest installment, The Veilguard, has reportedly succeeded for some, with players enjoying the rich story and complete narrative. The problem is, however, that the game received little to no downloadable content or expansion packs, creating doubt over its success.
The game, which split the web, was allegedly sold as a success from positioning, even though it wasn’t. It is based on real games that have worked. For example, while Baldur’s Gate 3 reached 700 thousand instant players, Dragon Age The Veilguard is shown to have reached a maximum of 80 thousand instant players. Creative director John Epler has stated that there are currently “no downloadable expansion plans” for The Veilguard, which is the studio’s previous approach to games like Dragon Age: Post-Launch Content these are, which was met with inquisition.
Is Dragon Age The Veilguard really a successful game?
Epler explained that BioWare aimed to provide a self-contained experience in The Veilguard, avoiding a repeat of the feedback they received with Inquisition, where some players felt essential story elements were only accessible through paid expansions. In other interviews, the team noted that the decision not to offer DLC for The Veilguard was to ensure the story felt complete and fulfilling without needing future content additions.
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Technological limitations are a big reason BioWare is so cautious about new content and even remastering older titles. The first two Dragon Age games were not developed using the Unreal Engine, like Mass Effect; they were built off of the Eclipse engine, a dated technology that only a few BioWare staff know how it works. To do this with available resources today would be a difficult challenge because this is an aging technology. Epler indicated he would be open to remastered Dragon Age but reiterated that it would likely be much harder to tackle than his previous remastering works.
Despite limited post-launch plans, BioWare hasn’t completely ruled out expansions, keeping options open as long as The Veilguard succeeds and meets players’ expectations. However, whether this approach will satisfy die-hard fans wanting more content is unknown, as many people stated that the game fell heavily into popular culture.
Image credit: EA/Bioware
