Ex-BioWare Lead Blames EA for 'Veilguard' Issues

Former Dragon Age series executive producer Mark Darrah claims EA and BioWare failed to provide his team with adequate support in the early stages of developing Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

The former BioWare developer discussed his experience with the acclaimed fantasy RPG series in a recent video posted to his YouTube channel. He details events from 2017, a period Darrah describes as "the most impactful 12 months in BioWare's history." His account covers decisions that shaped the early development of last year's Dragon Age title, as well as how a shifting company culture was linked to the final phases of Mass Effect: Andromeda's development.

The story begins in late 2016 when Darrah was reassigned to assist with the final push on Andromeda. He recalls that the Dragon Age team then felt "jerked around" and abandoned, with "no support from BioWare or EA." The intention was for Darrah to help ship Mass Effect, freeing up resources for the next Dragon Age—a plan that ultimately did not succeed.

"This was the first instance of leadership discontinuity, where the person leading a project was pulled away to assist another while the original project continued," Darrah explained. "In the case of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the immediate impact on Dragon Age wasn't massive, and my absence was brief. However, it set a dangerous precedent. It's incredibly risky for a project to continue without its core leadership in place."

Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in March 2017 and, in Darrah's words, "it doesn't go well." During this period, BioWare was adapting to a new reporting structure under EA leadership that was "hyper-interested" in its projects. Darrah describes this shift as dramatic, noting that EA's new management showed little interest in continuing Mass Effect after its troubled release. Yet, Darrah felt Dragon Age still wasn't receiving the necessary support even after Andromeda was completed.

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Darrah states he raised his concerns with then-EA CEO Andrew Wilson and former executive Patrick Söderlund, who reassured him of Dragon Age's importance to the company. While EA provided limited resources to maintain the studio's work in the summer of 2017, Darrah and the BioWare team were informed that studio veteran Casey Hudson would be returning—a major organizational change communicated without prior warning.

"Remember, I was the second most senior person at BioWare," Darrah said. "Casey was interviewed, hired, and prepared for his return without my consultation. Would my involvement have changed the decision? Probably not. But there's an immense disrespect in making a hire of this magnitude without involving the studio's second-in-command in any capacity."

Darrah then anticipated BioWare would pivot its focus to Anthem. When he expressed these worries to EA, he was told leadership was committed to prioritizing Dragon Age.

"As we all know, that's not what happened at all," he added.

EA's investment in Anthem grew until its own troubled launch in 2019. Throughout this time, Darrah felt his trust in the company was "constantly hammered" and "constantly challenged." Resources were continuously diverted from what would become Dragon Age: The Veilguard through 2019, leading to what Darrah calls "fundamental" changes to the project's core vision.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched in late 2024 as BioWare's latest AAA fantasy RPG. Despite positive critical reception (including a 9/10 from IGN), EA later characterized its launch as a disappointment, stating in February that it failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." Former BioWare developers contested this assessment, with some suggesting the company should learn from Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios.

In January of this year, numerous Dragon Age developers were laid off as the studio shifted its focus back to Mass Effect 5.