Former Dragon Age boss Mark Darrah has revealed that many of his suggestions for Dragon Age: The Veilguard were not taken on board during development. Darrah, who left BioWare in 2021 and later returned as a freelance consultant for the final stretch of the game's production, says the experience was often frustrating.
"There were lots of things that I made recommendations on that were not listened to," Darrah told Eldorado.gg, as reported by GamesRadar+. "And in fact, in some cases, I would make a recommendation, it was ignored, and then a different group that was also helping would make the same recommendation, and then it was listened to. So it was definitely a frustrating experience for me."
A polarizing entry in a beloved series
Dragon Age: The Veilguard has divided players despite generally positive reviews. The writing and story, in particular, have become the most debated aspects of the game, with some fans praising the character work and others criticizing the tone and narrative choices.
Darrah's role as a consultant meant he was not one of the project leads, so the development team was under no obligation to follow his advice. According to GamesRadar+, Darrah acknowledged that this lack of authority made it easier for the studio to pass over his recommendations.
What does this mean for BioWare?
The revelation adds another layer to the ongoing discussion about BioWare's development process. Darrah has previously been open about the challenges facing the studio, and his latest comments suggest that even an experienced series veteran had limited influence over the final product.
Darrah's comments come amid continued discussion about the game's story and tone. While The Veilguard received largely positive reviews from critics, its reception among the Dragon Age community has been far more mixed. Some longtime fans have expressed disappointment with how certain characters and plotlines were handled, while others have defended the game as a worthy entry in the series.
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Source: GamesRadar+. Rewritten and edited by Kids Games Play
