EA Criticized for Blaming Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Underperformance on Lack of Live-Service Features

Former BioWare developers and industry analysts dispute EA's claim that shared-world elements would have improved the RPG's reception.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released three months ago, failed to meet EA's sales expectations despite positive reviews from critics and players who engaged with it.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson suggested during a financial call that the game's lack of live-service features hindered its ability to attract a broader audience.
Former BioWare creative leads, including Mike Laidlaw and David Gaider, criticized the idea of altering the series' core single-player identity to include multiplayer or live-service elements.
Analysts and journalists highlighted that The Veilguard's struggles may stem more from internal mismanagement, inconsistent development, and unmet fan expectations rather than the absence of live-service mechanics.
The game's underperformance has led to significant layoffs at BioWare, raising concerns about the future direction of the studio and its upcoming Mass Effect project.