EA to focus on 'highest-value opportunities' following Dragon Age Veilguard sales blunder

Following disappointing sales of BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Electronic Arts says it is re-allocating resources to more high-value opportunities.

EA to focus on 'highest-value opportunities' following Dragon Age Veilguard sales blunder
Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Senior Gaming Editor
Published
2 minutes & 15 seconds read time
TL;DR: Following the disappointing sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, EA says it will "reallocate resources" and focus more on its "highest-potential opportunities."

It sounds like singleplayer RPGs may be harder to greenlight at Electronic Arts moving forward as the publisher doubles-down on more guaranteed bets.

EA to focus on 'highest-value opportunities' following Dragon Age Veilguard sales blunder 20241208171847

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the third major BioWare game to miss the mark and EA has taken notice. The game did poorly enough to trigger a rare forecast adjustment from EA's executives, who had significantly lowered full-year earnings targets to reflect the disappointing sales of Veilguard (and the underperformance of EA FC25).

The magnitude of Veilguard's miss is even more pronounced when considering that EA had previously assigned a $20 billion market value to action RPGs. The news triggered a fresh wave of layoffs at BioWare, which has now been culled to a team of less than 100 people. BioWare is currently working on the next Mass Effect game, a singleplayer project that's entering pre-production phases of development.

New comments from EA leadership could indicate that singleplayer RPGs could be placed on the back burner in favor of more lucrative content, such as live services. This push-pull relationship between microtransactions and full games is an old dance for EA.

During Q3FY25 results, EA CFO Stuart Canfield said this about Veilguard:

"Let me start with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Historically, blockbuster storytelling has been the primary way our industry brought beloved IP to players. The game's financial performance highlights the evolving industry landscape and reinforces the importance of our actions to reallocate resources towards our most significant and highest-potential opportunities.

"In Q3, net bookings was $2.22 billion, down 6% year-over-year. Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformed, highlighting the competitive dynamics of the single-player RPG market."

In the prepared remarks to investors, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson remarked that BioWare's latest RPG was one of high quality and did not reveal the exact depth of Veilguard's miss.

Wilson also underlines the main pillars of what EA calls its "blockbuster storytelling strategy":

"Q3 was not the financial performance we wanted or expected. We know as a leader in global entertainment, great titles - even when built and delivered with polished execution - can sometimes miss our financial expectations.

"So let me provide more context on the quarter and share actions taken to build momentum as we head into the new fiscal year. Our blockbuster storytelling strategy is built on three strategic objectives:

"First, create an authentic story and experience for the core audience; Second, build innovative, ground-breaking features; and third, emphasize high quality launches across both PC and console.

"In order to break beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category.

"Dragon Age had a high-quality launch and was well-reviewed by critics and those who played; however, it did not resonate with a broad-enough audience in this highly competitive market"

Photo of the Electronic Arts Dragon Age: The Veilguard Standard Edition PS5 Video Game
Best Deals: Electronic Arts Dragon Age: The Veilguard Standard Edition PS5 Video Game
Country flag Today 7 days ago 30 days ago
$50.36 USD -
Buy
$49 USD -
Buy
$78.68 CAD -
Buy
£28.99 -
Buy
$50.36 USD -
Buy
* Prices last scanned on 2/18/2025 at 5:39 am CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
NEWS SOURCE:s204.q4cdn.com

Senior Gaming Editor

Email IconX IconLinkedIn Icon

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

Related Topics

Newsletter Subscription