What Darrah's Ignored Advice Means for Veilguard's Future

Darrah's comments highlight internal tensions during The Veilguard's development and add context to fan debates about the game's story and writing, especially as BioWare faces closure.

Darrah's comments highlight internal tensions during The Veilguard's development and add context to fan debates about the game's story and writing, especially as BioWare faces closure.

Key points - Mark Darrah left BioWare in 2021 and returned as a freelance consultant for Dragon Age: The Veilguard's final development stretch. - Darrah says many of his recommendations were ignored, sometimes only accepted when repeated by another group. - He previously blamed BioWare's preference for simpler RPGs for Dragon Age's struggles. - EA recently closed BioWare and canceled Mass Effect 5 amid a $55 billion buyout.

Timeline - 2021: Mark Darrah leaves BioWare. - Final stretch of Veilguard development: Darrah serves as a freelance consultant. - Recently: EA shuts down BioWare and cancels Mass Effect 5.

FAQ

Q: Why did BioWare ignore Mark Darrah's advice? A: As a consultant, Darrah wasn't a project lead, so the team was within their rights to disregard his suggestions. He says they often did, sometimes only listening when others repeated the same ideas.

Q: What did Darrah say about Dragon Age's downfall? A: He previously attributed it to BioWare's preference for "simpler" and "more accessible" RPGs, which he believes prevented a major hit like Baldur's Gate 3.

Q: Is BioWare closed? A: Yes, EA recently shut down the studio and canceled Mass Effect 5, following a $55 billion buyout by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.