Dragon Age: Veilguard Development Insights Reveal Dialogue Overhaul Due to Forspoken's Impact

A recent report has brought to light the chaotic development cycle of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, casting a shadow over the future of BioWare. In January, EA publicly admitted that the game had "underperformed" by roughly 50% compared to expectations, just days after key personnel began exiting the studio. Among those leaving was the game’s director, Corrine Busche, while other team members who contributed to *The Veilguard* were laid off. Around the same time, BioWare confirmed it would not be releasing any additional updates or content for the title moving forward.

IGN previously covered the evolving nature of *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, including how it shifted from a single-player RPG into a live-service multiplayer format—and then back again. Now, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has provided deeper insight into what went wrong during development, shedding light on why some fans felt the game lacked meaningful player choice and consequence—hallmarks of BioWare’s most beloved titles.

Schreier uncovered that many of the issues stemmed from the repeated shifts in direction during development, particularly the decision to pivot back to a single-player experience. This instability affected the game's tone, dialogue, and overall narrative depth. One notable detail is that BioWare executives grew concerned about the fate of Square Enix’s *Forspoken*, fearing that a snarky, modern tone could lead to similar criticism. As a result, a last-minute rewrite was ordered to make the dialogue sound more serious—a change that reportedly caused tonal inconsistencies throughout the game.

Internal concerns also arose regarding the marketing strategy for *The Veilguard*. An early trailer gave the impression of a stylized action-packed experience akin to *Fortnite*, which clashed with the darker fantasy roots of the *Dragon Age* franchise. Some employees reportedly feared that EA didn’t fully understand how to market the game appropriately.

EA declined to comment on the report when contacted by Bloomberg.

The fallout from *The Veilguard*’s underwhelming performance has left many questioning BioWare’s long-term viability. While a small team continues work on *Mass Effect 5*, there are growing concerns within the industry about the studio’s future. With *The Veilguard* joining *Mass Effect: Andromeda* and *Anthem* as consecutive commercial disappointments, it appears that the *Dragon Age* franchise is effectively on hold.

As TD Cowen analyst Doug Creutz noted, although EA needs successful non-sports titles to thrive, “if they shuttered the doors [of BioWare] tomorrow I wouldn’t be totally surprised. It has been over a decade since they produced a hit.”

For a full breakdown of the situation at BioWare and the challenges surrounding *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, check out the full piece over at [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com).