EA CEO Andrew Wilson said BioWare was back to its strengths with the imminent release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, praising its reviews while predicting it had “breakthrough potential” thanks to what he described as limited competition.
Speaking to investors at EA’s quarterly earnings call, Wilson addressed some of BioWare’s troubled recent history, defined in part by the failure of Anthem — a multiplayer game that Wilson described as “very, very different from something known as a BioWare game.” In the wake of Anthem, Wilson said that “a big shift occurred” that saw BioWare “really getting back to BioWare-type games; really getting back to BioWare’s strengths.”
“BioWare has rallied around what has made BioWare a fan-favorite studio and a fan-favorite brand and the types of games they make — incredibly rich worlds, incredibly nuanced characters, and really strong, compelling stories with companionship, friendships, relationships, and decisions that make it easier,” Wilson said. Mission in the context of gameplay.” “And I think going back to what made BioWare great and giving the studio the time to really nail what makes BioWare great in the context of the Dragon Age universe is what Dragon Age: The Veilguard amounts to.”
Wilson’s comments come in the context of what has been said to be a sometimes fraught relationship with EA. Rumors over the years have suggested that BioWare has been pressured to match the success of highly profitable modes like Ultimate Team, though the studio has insisted on saying that EA has been supportive of the studio. Our report on how BioWare managed to get Dragon Age: The Veilguard to the finish line after a turbulent decade details some of the challenges the studio has faced over the years.
Wilson is looking forward to the release of The Veilguard, praising its strong reviews and suggesting that it has “breakthrough potential” thanks to BioWare’s existing fanbase and relatively clear release calendar. “We’re entering a market with limited competition for this category of games given some of the moves that have happened across the broader industry,” Wilson said, likely referring to Ubisoft’s decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows until 2025.
Elsewhere, EA reported record second-quarter profits with about 15 million new players added to The Sims 4 in 2024, and indicated it has no interest in making Apex Legends 2. For its part, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released in October. 31.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s news director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have any advice? Send her a direct message at @the_katbot.
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