EA CEO Andrew Wilson has publicly acknowledged the financial underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, admitting that the game failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." This statement came after EA restructured Dragon Age developer BioWare to solely focus on Mass Effect 5, leading to the reassignment of some Veilguard team members to other EA studios.
The decision to restructure followed EA's revelation that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had only engaged 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter, a figure that fell nearly 50% short of the company's projections. IGN has documented several challenges during the game's development, including layoffs and the departure of several key project leads at different stages. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that BioWare staff considered it a "miracle" that The Veilguard was released as a complete game, especially after EA's fluctuating decisions regarding live-service features.
During an investor-focused financial call, Wilson emphasized the need for EA's role-playing games to incorporate "shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives." He suggested that Dragon Age: The Veilguard's lack of these elements might have contributed to its failure to attract a wider audience in a highly competitive market. However, this stance is puzzling given EA's earlier support for BioWare's decision to pivot Dragon Age from a multiplayer-focused game to a full-blown single-player RPG.
Fans and critics alike argue that EA may have drawn the wrong conclusions from The Veilguard's performance, especially considering the recent success of single-player RPGs like Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. With Dragon Age seemingly on indefinite hiatus, attention now shifts to the future of Mass Effect 5.
EA CFO Stuart Canfield discussed the company's decision to refocus BioWare's efforts on Mass Effect 5, which involved downsizing the studio from 200 to fewer than 100 employees. Canfield highlighted the evolving industry landscape and the necessity to allocate resources toward projects with the highest potential for success.
It's important to note that single-player games constitute only a small fraction of EA's revenue, with live service games accounting for 74% of the company's earnings over the last year. Titles like Ultimate Team, Apex Legends, The Sims, and the upcoming Skate and Battlefield games drive this revenue, underscoring EA's commitment to live service models.
