BioWare general manager Gary McKay recently put out a statement to address questions on the upcoming fourth Dragon Age sequel. The statement itself is full of positivity, but the takeaway is that the game is still a long ways away. McKay confirms that they are still in the middle of active production.
For the next Dragon Age, we are right in the middle of Production, which is a great feeling. Our blueprint was completed last year, so we’re now focused on building out our vision: creating amazing environments, deep characters, strong gameplay, impactful writing, emotional cinematics – and much more. The blueprint for the game is well understood and the team is focused.
Production is all about executing on the blueprint: taking those ideas and turning them into a working game. Eventually, a team hits Alpha and then Beta, where the polish happens, and the things that are special really come to life.
Later this year, you will start to hear more from the Dragon Age team in the form of blogs and social content. As we move through development we’ll also be in regular communication with players who sit on our community council. As passionate fans like you, we take their feedback seriously. We are also listening to all of you as you share your thoughts and experiences, so keep talking to us!
The other takeaway is that BioWare lost yet another team member. Christian Dailey joined the team in December 2020 as executive producer.
Hi friends. I wanted to pass on the news that I am leaving BioWare. The next Dragon Age is in great hands. Looking forward to cheering on the team and playing as a fan. Please follow my friends on the latest and greatest moving forward. Much love #DragonAge #Anthem family. 🐲🤖 https://t.co/y3OZ5vb8D2
— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) February 23, 2022
On Twitter, Dailey posted, “I want to reiterate that the Dragon Age team is killing it and the game is in amazing hands. Don’t fall for the hate. Lots of positivity, can’t wait for when they can share more.”
Dailey’s departure is a reminder that BioWare has lost several key members in recent years, including former studio general manager Casey Hudson and Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah (McKay replaced the former and Dailey the latter).
The last Dragon Age RPG, Dragon Age: Inquisition, released in 2014, and fans have been clamoring for the next entry ever since. BioWare is also still working on the next Mass Effect game, but had no news to share at this time.
The once beloved AAA RPG studio has been floundering in recent years, with Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) and Anthem (2019) releasing to poor sales and poorer reception from fans and critics. On the plus side, we finally got the remastered original trilogy with the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition last year.