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Dragon Age Trilogy Remaster Is "Pretty Much Impossible," Says Former BioWare Producer
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Dragon Age Trilogy Remaster Is "Pretty Much Impossible," Says Former BioWare Producer

Jul 30, 20263 sources0 comments

Fans hoping for a Mass Effect Legendary Edition-style remaster of the original Dragon Age trilogy may want to temper their expectations. Former BioWare producer and longtime Dragon Age series boss Mark Darrah has gone on record saying such a project is highly unlikely, citing a critical and somewhat surprising reason: nobody currently employed at BioWare understands how the original games' engine works. With that institutional knowledge gone, the technical groundwork needed to faithfully remaster Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age: Inquisition simply isn't there.

Despite the grim outlook, Darrah isn't dismissing the value of the idea entirely. He acknowledged that the original Dragon Age: Origins "wasn't the most attractive game" visually, implying there would be clear upside to giving the trilogy a modern polish pass. However, he stressed that wanting a remaster and being able to actually build one are two very different things. Without engineers who understand the legacy engine's inner workings, any remaster attempt would risk being more costly, time-consuming, and unstable than what EA or BioWare would realistically greenlight, especially given the studio's recent struggles with Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Key Insights

  • 1Former Dragon Age series producer Mark Darrah says a trilogy remaster is 'pretty much impossible' due to lost engine knowledge at BioWare.
  • 2No one currently employed at BioWare is said to understand how the original Dragon Age engine works, making a remaster technically very difficult.
  • 3Darrah personally believes a remaster would be worthwhile, but acknowledges the practical knowhow simply isn't there.
  • 4The situation contrasts sharply with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which BioWare was able to produce by retaining relevant technical expertise.
  • 5Dragon Age: Origins is specifically cited as a game that could benefit visually from a remaster, yet it may be the hardest to rebuild given its age and engine complexity.

Sources

BioWare's Former Dragon Age Boss Says a Mass Effect-Style Remaster Trilogy Is Pretty Much Impossible

IGN · 1d ago

A Dragon Age Trilogy remaster probably won't happen as no one still employed at BioWare knows how the engine works, claims producer

Eurogamer · 1d ago

"Dragon Age: Origins wasn't the most attractive game": BioWare's old series producer still thinks a DA remaster trilogy is worth it, but the knowhow isn't there

Rock Paper Shotgun · 1d ago