Mark Darrah, former head of the Dragon Age series, stated that this popular fantasy RPG franchise had the potential to produce a title on the level of Baldur's Gate 3, but BioWare ultimately chose to simplify its game design in hopes of reaching a broader player base.
The outcome was already sealed: when EA decided to shut down BioWare, Mass Effect 5 had not yet been officially released, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard became the studio's final title. Although many reviewers found notable merits in the game, its commercial performance ultimately failed to secure BioWare's survival after the consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund acquired EA.
It is precisely for this reason that the series has left players with endless "what ifs." The revenue and awards of Baldur's Gate 3 have proven that fantasy RPGs can indeed achieve the market heights that Dragon Age has long craved. So, why did BioWare, the creator of the first two Baldur's Gate games, fail to recreate the same glory with Dragon Age, a fantasy IP with a solid fan base?
According to Mark Darrah, former head of the Dragon Age series, BioWare's failure stemmed from its attempt to create an RPG that appealed to all audiences, ultimately resulting in a product that satisfied no one.
In an interview with Eldorado, Darrah was asked why BioWare failed to produce a fantasy RPG with enough depth to achieve success on the level of Baldur's Gate 3, unlike Larian Studios.
"You can completely see this possibility within Dragon Age," he stated. "It's entirely conceivable that BioWare could have continued along the path of Dragon Age: Origins and ultimately created a work highly similar to Baldur's Gate 3."
"But the reality was quite the opposite; the project was pushed in another direction—pursuing simplicity, lower barriers to entry, and greater appeal to mainstream players. Ultimately, the development path did not lead from Dragon Age: Origins to Baldur's Gate 3, but rather to Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition. You can clearly see this trajectory, which is a problem unique to the Dragon Age IP, not the entire BioWare studio—it remained trapped in a development logic that publishers couldn't understand."
The rest is a well-known ending. BioWare's closure means that IPs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect have been temporarily shelved by EA. We may see new entries from these franchises in the hands of other studios in the future, but as Darrah himself noted, they could also be buried and forgotten. It's just a pity, given the infinite possibilities they once held.