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Dragon Age Franchise Unlikely to Return Due to EA's Greenlighting Process
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Dragon Age Franchise Unlikely to Return Due to EA's Greenlighting Process

Jul 28, 20263 sources0 comments

Mark Darrah, the former executive producer of the Dragon Age series, has painted a bleak picture for the franchise's future, arguing that EA's internal culture and greenlighting process make a revival highly unlikely. Speaking publicly, Darrah described EA as "a hedge fund with a video game hobby," suggesting the company's financial priorities leave little room for passion-driven projects like Dragon Age. He added that he doesn't believe anyone at BioWare would even attempt to pitch a new entry in the series, and that those who do pitch existing IP tend to get "ripped apart" by others within the organization.

Darrah's comments come in the wake of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's underwhelming commercial performance, which effectively put the long-running RPG series on ice. His critique goes beyond simple pessimism, pointing to a structural problem at EA where the incentives and approval processes actively discourage developers from championing older or struggling franchises. With BioWare's future already uncertain, the prospect of Dragon Age getting another shot looks dimmer than ever according to one of the people who knew the series best.

Key Insights

  • 1Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah believes the series is effectively dead, citing EA's internal greenlighting culture as the primary barrier.
  • 2Darrah described EA as 'a hedge fund with a video game hobby,' indicating the company's financial focus overrides creative investment in established franchises.
  • 3He doesn't believe any current BioWare developer would even pitch a new Dragon Age game, reflecting low morale and confidence within the studio.
  • 4Developers who do pitch existing IP at EA are reportedly 'ripped apart' by colleagues, creating a hostile environment for franchise revivals.
  • 5The comments follow Dragon Age: The Veilguard's poor commercial reception, which appears to have sealed the fate of the RPG series for the foreseeable future.

Sources

Ex–Dragon Age Producer Calls EA A 'Hedge Fund With A Video Game Hobby'

Kotaku · 1d ago

EA is 'a hedge fund with a videogame hobby,' former Dragon Age boss says, and that's why he reckons the series is probably dead and buried

PC Gamer · 1d ago

Dragon Age series producer says he doesn't see it returning because of EA's greenlighting process

VGC · 1d ago