Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider has shared a candid assessment of the franchise’s future, saying he believes the beloved RPG series is “probably dead” under EA.
Speaking in an interview with PC Gamer, Gaider reflected on his years at BioWare, explaining that Dragon Age constantly struggled to earn the same confidence from EA that franchises like Mass Effect received.
Gaider believes Dragon Age has no future under EA
When asked whether he still sees a future for Dragon Age, Gaider gave a pessimistic response.
“From Electronic Arts? Unlikely,”
he said.
“Throughout the entire time I was there, we were always one breath away from the project being shelved.”
According to Gaider, every successful Dragon Age launch surprised the publisher rather than reinforcing confidence in the series.
He argued that EA consistently viewed Mass Effect as the company’s more commercially appealing RPG because of its action-oriented gameplay, while Dragon Age’s story-driven fantasy formula was often misunderstood.
Gaider also recalled how difficult that perception became for the development team.
“Whenever a Dragon Age game sold well… basically that it was a fluke,”
he said, adding that the franchise was often treated as “the redheaded stepchild.”
Why would he return to Thedas?
Despite leaving the series after Dragon Age: Inquisition, Gaider revealed he would now consider returning if the opportunity arose. During his time at BioWare, he stepped away because he felt he had told the stories he wanted to tell and believed “fresher voices” should take over.
Years later, however, his perspective has changed.
“If, out of some weird alignment of the stars, somebody handed the Dragon Age franchise back to me and said, ‘Breathe the life back into this baby,’… I’d go back to the basics of what made Dragon Age appeal to so many people in the first place.”
He added that his vision would be to
“go somewhere dark and dangerous, and do things that will make people upset.”
Gaider’s comments arrive after Dragon Age: The Veilguard received a mixed commercial reception, reigniting discussions about BioWare’s future. Although EA has not announced plans to end the franchise, there has also been no confirmation of another Dragon Age project.
For longtime fans, Gaider’s remarks offer both concern about the series’ future and a glimpse of how one of its original creative architects would approach a potential revival.
