Following significant layoffs at BioWare, which affected many developers behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a former writer from the series has sought to reassure fans by stating, "DA isn't dead because it's yours now." This week, EA restructured BioWare to concentrate solely on Mass Effect 5, shifting some Dragon Age: The Veilguard team members to other projects within EA studios, such as John Epler, the game's creative director, who transitioned to work on Full Circle's upcoming skateboarding title, Skate. Unfortunately, other team members were laid off and are now searching for new opportunities.

The restructuring decision came after EA reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had fallen short of expectations, engaging only 1.5 million players during its recent financial quarter—a figure nearly 50% lower than the company's projections. It's important to note that EA did not specify whether these 1.5 million engagements were from unit sales, as Dragon Age: The Veilguard was also accessible through EA's Play Pro subscription service. Furthermore, it remains unclear if the count includes players who tried the game through the more affordable EA Play subscription's free trial.

EA's announcement, coupled with the studio's restructuring and layoffs, has led many in the Dragon Age community to fear the series might be nearing its end. No DLC is planned for The Veilguard, and BioWare concluded its work on the game with its last major update last week.

However, Sheryl Chee, a senior writer who moved from BioWare to work on Iron Man at Motive, took to social media to offer words of encouragement. Reflecting on the challenging past two years and the gradual reduction of her team, Chee expressed gratitude for still being employed. In response to a fan's concern about the series' demise, Chee emphasized the enduring spirit of the Dragon Age community, stating, "DA isn't dead. There's fic. There's art. There's the connections we made through the games and because of the games. Technically EA/BioWare owns the IP but you can't own an idea, no matter how much they want to. DA isn't dead because it's yours now."

Chee further encouraged fans to continue creating and sharing their own Dragon Age-inspired content, highlighting how such contributions keep the series alive. She cited a fan's plan to write a giant alternate universe story as an example of the community's enduring creativity and passion.

The Dragon Age series began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2010, followed by Dragon Age 2 in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. The latest installment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, took a decade to release. Former executive producer Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2020, revealed that Dragon Age Inquisition sold over 12 million copies, significantly surpassing EA's internal projections.

While EA has not officially declared the end of the Dragon Age series, the future seems uncertain with BioWare's full focus on Mass Effect 5. EA confirmed that a "core team" at BioWare, led by veterans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, including Mike Gamble, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts, and Parrish Ley, is developing the next Mass Effect game. According to EA, "the studio has the right number of people in the right roles to work on Mass Effect at this stage of development."