Overview

• BioWare spent nearly a decade pivoting The Veilguard from single-player RPG to live-service multiplayer and back, leaving developers just 18 months to retool its core design.
• A top-down rewrite of the game’s dialogue aimed at avoiding Forspoken-style snark introduced tonal inconsistencies and rushed story elements.
• Late in development, BioWare brought in its Mass Effect team to overhaul key missions, a move that improved the finale but intensified internal tensions.
• Upon its October 2024 launch, The Veilguard drew only 1.5 million players in two months—roughly half of EA’s target—prompting broad staff cuts and reassignments.
• Industry analysts warn that continued underperformance could threaten BioWare’s future as EA shifts focus to the next Mass Effect installment.