It’s extraordinary to think five years have passed since the fourth Dragon Age<\/em> game was announced to joyous uproar at The Game Awards in 2018. Since the reveal of Dreadwolf<\/em>, however, which heralds the return of former companion Solas as its antagonist, excitement has been at an all-time low.<\/p>
How can it be that those who love Dragon Age<\/em> and its expansive continent of Thedas are expecting to see no sign of either at The Game Awards 2023 on Dec. 7, or even on the unofficial “Dragon Age Day” on Dec. 4? <\/p>
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Years upon years of disappointment and upset are clearly taking their toll. Five years is a long time to not see a game launch following its reveal; Skull and Bones <\/em>knows a thing or two about that<\/a>. But the wait for something substantial has only gotten worse thanks to a number of adverse factors.<\/p>
Perhaps the best place to start is at the source of all the nervousness surrounding Dreadwolf<\/em>. Bit by bit, we learned about its incredibly volatile development. Beginning life as a project codenamed “Joplin,” the fourth Dragon Age<\/em> was always going to be set within the Tevinter Empire, as hinted at during 2014\u2019s Inquisition<\/em>. According to respected journalist Jason Schreier<\/a>, it was originally to be a smaller and more narrative-focused game than its predecessor.\u00a0<\/p>
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After reconceptualizing the game as a single-player experience, and after a widely-disliked gameplay leak<\/a> and a huge turnover of staff, nobody truly knows what to expect from Dreadwolf<\/em> anymore. BioWare is hardly in a good place either. Although the recent teaser trailer for the next Mass Effect <\/em>was welcomed with open arms<\/a>, the studio is still reeling from 50 layoffs in August 2023<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
Speaking of Mass Effect<\/em>, the unimaginable number of delays to Dreadwolf <\/em>has led to the most bizarre set of circumstances. Schreier was on the pulse in 2017, reporting that the sci-fi stalwart had been put “on ice.”<\/a> For many fans, the scenario looked bleak. Yet, just three years later, the fifth Mass Effect <\/em>entry was officially confirmed, with a full trailer to boot<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
From here, we should turn our gaze to Mark Darrah. Mark is a fascinating part of the story, given he was the executive producer of the fourth Dragon Age <\/em>across both its “Joplin” and “Morrison” guises. That was until late 2020, when he resigned. Sensationally, come March 2023, Darrah was back on the team as a consultant, and it is he who offered a single ray of hope to Dragon Age<\/em> fans: A simple X post<\/a> that reads \u201cOK fine,\u201d with a link to his Game Awards 2023 co-stream.<\/p>
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Fans on Reddit are discussing their expectations for The Game Awards<\/a>, and the answers range from \u201ca gameplay trailer with just a release year\u201d<\/a> to \u201cabsolutely nothing\u201d<\/a>. The former is easily the most optimistic take, while the latter is indicative of how most of the community feels. Nobody expects to see the release date, or a full announcement trailer with all the bells and whistles, but something<\/em> would be nice.\u00a0<\/p>
