By Sagar V. Mankar 
BioWare seems to have reached the end of its journey with Dragon Age: The Veilguard just three months after the game’s launch. The studio released Patch 5, which includes minor quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. However, the language in BioWare’s announcement suggests this may be the “final major update” for the game.
In a statement accompanying the patch notes, BioWare expressed gratitude to players, saying, “Thank you all for playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We were so happy with the game’s stability at launch and hope you have enjoyed our Quality of Life patches since then. With the game being in a stable place, we are moving to monitor for any game-breaking bugs should those occur. Dareth shiral!” For fans of the Dragon Age series, the phrase “dareth shiral” – meaning “farewell” in Elvish – feels like a definitive goodbye to the game.
The lack of post-launch content for Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been a sore point for players. Unlike its predecessors, which received significant expansions, BioWare confirmed shortly after launch that the game would not feature any DLC. This decision, combined with underwhelming sales, indicates a challenging road for the title. According to publisher EA, the game missed its internal sales target by 50%, achieving only 1.5 million players instead of the expected three million. This underperformance led to a significant discount during Cyber Monday and heightened speculation about the game’s future.
Development hurdles also plagued the project. Reports surfaced about layoffs and the departure of several project leads, including the game’s director, Corinne Busche, who left BioWare shortly after the game’s release. These issues may have contributed to the game’s lackluster performance and lukewarm reception.
Patch 5 marks what seems to be BioWare’s final effort to refine the game. The update addresses various bugs, such as issues with quests, armor mechanics, and photo mode quality. Quality-of-life improvements include the addition of recommended levels for side quests. Despite these fixes, the absence of new content signals that BioWare has shifted its focus elsewhere.
Looking ahead, BioWare appears to be prioritizing the development of Mass Effect 5. However, the future of the Dragon Age franchise remains uncertain. Given the mixed reception and sales of The Veilguard, EA may be hesitant to greenlight another installment in the series anytime soon.
The complete patch notes for Dragon Age: The Veilguard can be found on the game’s official website.