EA CEO: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Lacked Broad Appeal, Gamers Crave Shared-World Features

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has recently addressed the financial disappointment of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, stating that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement came in the wake of EA's decision to restructure BioWare, the developer behind the game, to shift its focus solely to Mass Effect 5. This move resulted in some of the staff who worked on The Veilguard being reassigned to other projects within EA's studios.

The decision to restructure followed EA's announcement that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had significantly underperformed compared to their expectations for the long-awaited action RPG. According to EA, the game engaged 1.5 million players during the recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of the company's projections.

IGN has documented several development challenges faced by Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including layoffs, the departure of several project leads, and other issues at various stages of development. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier noted that BioWare staff considered it a miracle that the game was released as a complete product, especially after EA initially pushed for a live-service model before reversing course.

During an investor-focused financial call, Wilson suggested that EA's role-playing games need to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives" to appeal to a broader audience. He emphasized the necessity for games to connect with the evolving demands of players, who increasingly seek these features in addition to compelling storytelling.

Wilson acknowledged that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a high-quality launch and received positive reviews from critics and players. However, he pointed out that the game did not capture a wide enough market in the highly competitive gaming industry. This statement implies that the inclusion of shared-world features and deeper engagement might have boosted the game's sales, despite EA's earlier decision to pivot Dragon Age from a multiplayer game to a single-player RPG.

Fans have expressed concern that EA may be drawing the wrong conclusions from Dragon Age: The Veilguard's performance, especially given the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. With EA's decision to halt further development on Dragon Age for the foreseeable future, attention now turns to the future of Mass Effect 5.

EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the restructuring of BioWare to concentrate on Mass Effect 5, a move that reportedly reduced the studio's size from 200 to less than 100 people. Canfield highlighted the evolving industry landscape and the importance of reallocating resources to the company's most significant and high-potential opportunities.

It's important to note that single-player games constitute only a small fraction of EA's revenue, with the majority (74% in the last 12 months) coming from live service games. Titles like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, and The Sims contribute significantly to this revenue stream. The upcoming Skate and the next Battlefield are also expected to follow the live service model, indicating EA's continued focus on this lucrative sector.