BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts debuted a new trailer on Thursday announcing that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released on Oct. 31. The Veilguard will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Pre-orders are open now for standard and deluxe editions of the game, BioWare said.
The new trailer appears to be largely cinematic and shows Rook and companions heading off on an adventure to take on the Elven gods. It also includes some glimpses of combat, romance, and the big bads. And yes, there are dragons.
“As a character-driven RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers a crafted experience woven from the threads of rich storytelling and fantasy worldbuilding the franchise is known for,“ BioWare wrote in a news release. “In this bold, heroic adventure, players will experience expansive and dynamic stories that navigate love, loss and complex choices that affect relationships and the fate of each member of the Veilguard. In true Dragon Age fashion, these bonds of fellowship are the foundation upon which Rook’s journey is built, and it will be up to the player to determine how their personal story unfolds.”
On Wednesday, when BioWare announced the release date for the, well, release date, it also showed a roadmap for new reveals for The Veilguard. For the months of August, September, and beyond, BioWare will share new details about the game, be it full weeks worth of content on combat and companions, a developer Q&A, or a monthlong showcase on IGN.
It’s been 10 years since Dragon Age: Inquisition, so fans of the franchise are eager to see more from their favorite world. So far, BioWare has shown the companions that players will join on the journey — and given press a sneak peek at the first hour of Veilguard. Some version of the game began development in 2015, according to Kotaku, before staff was pulled off the project to work on Mass Effect: Andromeda. That team got back to work on Dragon Age after Andromeda shipped in 2017, Kotaku reported. That version of Dragon Age was scrapped in 2017, and a small number of developers started work on a new version of Dragon Age 4.
Through all of this, BioWare has faced several controversies, including 50 layoffs and a legal push for “adequate severance.” The studio also came under fire when Veilguard QA workers, contracted under Keywords Studios, were laid off. Staff turnover has reportedly been high, too: creative director Mike Laidlaw left 2017, producer Mark Darrah and general manager Casey Hudson left in 2020 (Darrah later returned in a consultant role), and writer Mary Kirby was laid off with 49 others in 2023.
Though The Veilguard’s first trailer left some players unimpressed, its gameplay impressed those who got an early look at the first hour. And with BioWare’s slate of announcement and reveals, it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of The Veilguard in the months to come.
