Former BioWare Writer Criticizes EA's Favoritism Towards Mass Effect

Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider believes that EA always favored Mass Effect over Dragon Age, leading to the potential demise of the fantasy IP.

Following the disappointing sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it seems unlikely that BioWare's fantasy franchise will see a revival anytime soon. Gaider expressed his belief that the series may be dead, attributing its poor commercial performance, as per EA's expectations, as the final blow. Gaider revealed that throughout his time at BioWare, the Dragon Age project was always on the verge of being shelved. Despite the early Dragon Age games outselling Mass Effect, the latter was considered EA's favorite due to its marketability as a 'slick, modern RPG,' while Dragon Age was viewed as 'old-fashioned' and its success dismissed as a 'fluke' by EA.

Gaider mentioned his willingness to return to the franchise under certain conditions, such as having creative control over the IP and not working under EA. He expressed interest in revisiting the essence of Dragon Age's initial appeal by exploring darker and riskier themes. In the aftermath of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, EA downsized BioWare's workforce, retaining a 'core' team for the upcoming Mass Effect installment. Additionally, EA's decision to go private through a multi-billion dollar leveraged buyout involving various investors has sparked speculations about potential studio sell-offs to address the company's substantial debt, with BioWare being highlighted as a possible candidate.