BioWare's 'The Veilguard' Star Responds to Fan Backlash

Dragon Age star Alix Wilton Regan has shared her perspective on the negative reception faced by last year's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, attributing the "mixed reactions" in part to individuals who "wanted to see the game fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail."

The actor, who portrays the Female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, told IGN she was "absolutely devastated" that BioWare's latest title failed to attract a larger audience, despite receiving generally favorable reviews from critics.

Speaking in a new interview about her various iconic video game roles—as well as her part in Microsoft's upcoming Perfect Dark reboot—Wilton Regan expressed how much she enjoyed playing BioWare's Inquisitor, though she does not anticipate the character's return.

"I feel absolutely devastated for BioWare as a studio that they got such mixed reactions to the game," Wilton Regan commented regarding The Veilguard's reception. "Personally, I thought it was a very solid game. It felt to me like classic BioWare.

"I also believe many people simply wanted it to fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail, either because they are particularly toxic individuals online—of which, unfortunately, there are many, as we've seen."

Upon its launch, The Veilguard was targeted by online review bombing. Much of the criticism labeling the game as "woke" stemmed from its inclusion of a non-binary companion character and the option for players to choose a transgender identity. On Steam, Dragon Age: The Veilguard currently holds a 'Mixed' user rating, with player-applied tags highlighting "LGBTQ+" and "politics."

"People were attacking the game before it was even released," Wilton Regan continued. "It's absurd. How can anyone judge a game, a book, a film, or a TV show before it's out? It's simply not possible. That's an illogical position to take."

In January, publisher EA acknowledged that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had "underperformed" relative to expectations by approximately 50%, shortly after the game's director, Corrine Busche, confirmed her departure from the company. Other BioWare staff who worked on the project were also laid off.

That same month, BioWare indicated it had released its final update for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with no further content announced or anticipated.

"I only ever want to see the folks from BioWare thrive, because I adore them," Wilton Regan concluded. "Whatever they pursue next, I have no doubt their talents will be richly rewarded. We're fortunate that we'll see more outstanding work from them in the future."

A downsized BioWare is now developing Mass Effect 5, which currently has no announced release window.