Ex-BioWare lead slams EA over Dragon Age: Veilguard

Mark Darrah, former executive producer of the Dragon Age series, claims EA and BioWare failed to adequately support his team during the early stages of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's development.

The industry veteran detailed his experiences working on the acclaimed RPG franchise in a recent YouTube video. His account focuses on pivotal events throughout 2017—what Darrah describes as "the most transformative 12 months in BioWare's history." He discusses decisions that shaped The Veilguard's inception while also examining how shifting priorities impacted Mass Effect: Andromeda's troubled development cycle.

A Leadership Dilemma Emerges

Darrah traces the issues back to late 2016 when he was temporarily reassigned to oversee Andromeda's final production phase. He recalls sensing frustration among Dragon Age developers who felt "neglected" with "minimal backing from BioWare or EA." While intended as a short-term measure to free up resources, this intervention failed to significantly improve conditions.

"This marked the first instance where we experienced leadership disruption—removing key personnel from one project to salvage another while expecting development to continue unaffected," Darrah explained. "While Andromeda didn't majorly impact Dragon Age timelines, it established a dangerous precedent for diverting leadership during critical phases."

When Mass Effect: Andromeda launched unsuccessfully in March 2017, BioWare was simultaneously adapting to structural changes under EA's increasingly hands-on management. Darrah describes executives becoming "intensely focused" on studio operations yet paradoxically disinterested in continuing Mass Effect following its poor reception. Despite EA's withdrawal from that franchise, Darrah felt Dragon Age remained under-resourced.

Broken Promises and Shifting Priorities

Darrah recounts approaching EA executives Andrew Wilson and Patrick Söderlund with his concerns, receiving verbal assurances about Dragon Age's strategic importance. Resource allocation improved marginally during summer 2017, but staff were blindsided by Casey Hudson's sudden reinstatement—a major leadership decision made without Darrah's input.

"As BioWare's second-highest-ranking executive, discovering my exclusion from discussions about Hudson's return was profoundly disrespectful," Darrah stated. "Would my involvement have altered the outcome? Probably not. But such consequential decisions demand transparency with senior leadership."

EA's focus soon shifted decisively toward Anthem, despite claims that Dragon Age remained prioritized. "History proved otherwise," Darrah notes dryly. As Anthem's troubled 2019 launch approached, resources were systematically diverted from The Veilguard, forcing fundamental redesigns.

A Troubled Legacy

When The Veilguard finally launched in late 2024 to critical acclaim (including our 9/10 review), EA nonetheless deemed its commercial performance disappointing. Former BioWare developers later contested this assessment, some advocating for Larian Studios' successful Baldur's Gate approach as a better model.

The franchise's future grew murkier in early 2025 when EA redirected BioWare's focus toward Mass Effect 5, resulting in significant layoffs across the Dragon Age team.

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