BioWare Veteran: EA's Waning Interest Impacted 'Veilguard' Devs

Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has expressed that EA and BioWare did not provide adequate support to his team in the early stages of developing Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

The veteran BioWare developer shared insights into his work on the iconic fantasy RPG series in a recent video on his YouTube channel. He recounts the events of 2017, a period he describes as "the most impactful 12 months in BioWare's history." Darrah discusses decisions that shaped the early development of the latest Dragon Age title and links a shift in company culture to the final phases of Mass Effect: Andromeda's development.

Darrah's story begins in late 2016, when he was reassigned to help finalize Mass Effect: Andromeda. He recalls that the Dragon Age team at the time felt "jerked around" and believed they had "no support from BioWare or EA." The intention was for Darrah to assist in launching Mass Effect, freeing up resources for the next Dragon Age, but this plan did not fully materialize.

"This was the first instance of leadership discontinuity, where a project lead was moved to assist another project while their original team continued without them," Darrah explained. "In the case of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the direct impact on Dragon Age wasn't massive, and the duration was short. However, it established a dangerous precedent—allowing a project to proceed without its core leadership is incredibly risky."

Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in March 2017 and, as Darrah puts it, "it doesn't go well." During this period, BioWare was adapting to a new reporting structure under EA leadership that was deeply invested in the studio's projects. Darrah describes this change as dramatic, noting that EA's new management showed little interest in continuing Mass Effect after its rocky launch. Unfortunately, he felt Dragon Age still lacked the necessary support even after Andromeda was completed.

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The former BioWare lead stated 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. In the summer of 2017, EA provided minimal resources to sustain the studio's work. Shortly after, the staff was informed without prior warning that veteran developer Casey Hudson was returning to BioWare—a major organizational shake-up.

"It's important to remember: I was the second most senior person at BioWare," Darrah said. "Casey was interviewed, hired, and prepared for his return without any consultation with me. Would my involvement have changed the decision? Probably not. However, making a hire of this magnitude without involving the studio's second-in-command shows a profound lack of respect."

Darrah anticipated that BioWare would pivot its focus to Anthem. When he shared these worries with EA, leadership insisted they remained committed to giving Dragon Age the attention it needed.

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

EA's investment in Anthem grew significantly until its troubled 2019 launch. Throughout this period, Darrah felt his trust in the company was "constantly hammered" and "constantly challenged." Resources were consistently 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 major fantasy RPG. While it received positive critical reviews (including a 9/10 from our outlet), EA described its launch as a disappointment, stating in February that it failed to "resonate with a broad enough audience." Former BioWare developers contested this characterization, with some suggesting the company should learn from the approach taken by Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios.

Following a shift in focus back to Mass Effect 5, numerous Dragon Age developers were laid off in January of this year.