It looks like gamers will not be getting Dragon Age: Dreadwolf next month as previous rumors suggested. A new insider report now claims that the game may be at least a year away.
During the Game Mess Mornings podcast, Giant Bomb reporter Jeff Grubb shared a new update about the Dragon Age entry. Grubb mentioned that the release for the upcoming RPG has shifted internally and is now targeting a summer 2024 launch. The insider previously said that BioWare was planning to launch Dreadwolf this September.
For a while there, it was like Dragon Age could have come out this year,” he said. “In fact, internally, at one point, the date that they were looking at was next month–September 2023.” Grubb went on to specifically mention that the Dreadwolf is “coming out until Summer 2024 at the earliest at this point.”
The insider added, “I think it’s very likely it moves back even further. I expect this game probably to launch by the end of next year.” He also mentioned that the release date could shift further to as late as March 2025.
EA gave an indication in May that the upcoming game wasn’t coming until at least April 2024. The company’s fiscal year 2024 did not include the upcoming BioWare RPG. EA’s fiscal year 2024 started last April 2023 and lasts until March 2024.
Recently, BioWare had internal struggles, forcing it to cut 50 jobs at the studio. General manager Gary McKay said that the job cuts were necessary as Bioware “shift towards [becoming] a more agile and more focused studio.” He did assure fans that the current strategy includes “ensuring Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect.
Last March, EA announced that it was drafting manpower from BioWare’s Mass Effect team to help with Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. The studio retained a small team led by Project Director Mike Gamble to hold the fort and continue working on the pre-production of the sci-fi ARPG. Grubb mentioned that the most recent job cuts also meant that more of Gamble’s team members are moving to help with the development of Dragon Age and will in turn delay Mass Effect even further.
“If you’re wondering how all of this will impact development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, let me be clear that our dedication to the game has never wavered,” McKay said. “Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that we’ll have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential.”
Mckay adds, “A core veteran team led by Mike Gamble continues their pre-production work on the next Mass Effect. Our commitment to quality continues to be our North Star.”
