Dragon Age 4's mainland setting confirmed, map may rival Inquisition

According to a new Dragon Age artbook, the next game in the series, Dragon Age 4, will be set in the Tevinter Imperium.

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The new game dev grimoire BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development confirms that the new Dragon Age game is set in a realm of slavery, cruelty, and mythical blood magic. We're talking about the Tevinter Imperium, of course--the ancient Rome-like empire nestled in Theda's northern regions.

The book hints the playable landmass could include the Imperium as well as parts of the bordering Nevarra to the south, and Antiva to the east. For comparison, Dragon Age Inquisition featured areas set in southern Thedas; Orlais, Ferelden, and parts of the Free Marches were explorable and playable.

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It's possible Dragon Age 4 could be the biggest game in the series in terms of explorable area. We already know it'll be the most ambitious thanks to massively advanced next-gen Frostbite engine tech, but it could feature a huge in-game area as well.

It's not exactly a surprise that Dragon Age 4 is set in the Imperium. We've known since 2017 that BioWare was working on a Tevinter-focused Dragon Age.

The gothic spires Imperium have been teased multiple times in concept art. We've also seen glimpses of the dead-city necropolis' from Nevarra, and even Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels.

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That being said, game writer Patrick Weekes warns gamers not to read too much into the concept art. In no way is this artwork finalized, and much of it may not even be used in the final game.

"Much like box-art creatures help devs get an early feel for gameplay, concept art helps devs get an early feel for mood," Weekes said.

"If the mood of concept art you're seeing excites you, cool! But please don't get attached to, or hung up on, specifics."