Since its initial tease back in 2018, very little has been said about Dragon Age 4. There’s been some lovely concept art and some hints at characters and the protagonist, but overall, it’s clear that BioWare has been keeping Dragon Age 4 very close to its chest.
Interestingly enough, however, it’s been confirmed that fans will see Dragon Age 4 at The Game Awards 2020. This is big for BioWare fans as this is the first time the game has been confirmed for an event, having been saved as a surprise at The Game Awards 2018, and at EA Play and Gamescom earlier this year. As such, fan expectation may be high, but wisely, it should be tempered.
First off, it’s important to understand the context around the game going into The Game Awards 2020. Reports indicate that Dragon Age 4‘s development had been rebooted at some point, which may explain why it’s been a long time coming since Dragon Age: Inquisition dropped in 2014. Originally, DA4 was known as the “Joplin Project” but was rebooted under the name “Morrison Project.” This doesn’t necessarily mean the spies in Tevinter story of the Joplin project has been completely abandoned, but chances are, it doesn’t look quite the same.
When it was teased in 2018, the new game was still very much early in development. Other reports indicate that the game was years away, and at the time of its tease (which was more related to Inquisition than anything else), Dragon Age 4 didn’t even have a proper title. In other words, BioWare didn’t show much in 2018 because there wasn’t much to show. That’s not necessarily a cause for concern, but it’s worth mentioning that around the launch of Anthem, reports revealed the mismanagement of the project and its overreliance on a “BioWare magic” mindset.
Some have even claimed that Dragon Age 4 was essentially “Anthem with Dragons,” and while this is cause for concern, it’s worth highlighting how the studio likely received feedback from Anthem and adapted. This could be another explanation for the relative silence around the game, and if so, that could just be a good thing.
At EA Play, Dragon Age 4 made a surprise showing where it revealed three pieces of concept art. This was big for fans of the franchise, as aside from the spooky tree that spawned many Dragon Age romance jokes, there was shots revealing Red Lyrium. Of course, it’s not surprise the substance is being teased for the next game, and this would potentially suggest that questions two games in the making may finally be answered. Later on at Gamescom, more concept art was revealed that teased everything from Dorian to a potential Executor, as well as some early still-in-development reels.
In short, there’s a slight pattern here. 2018 just had a tease while the news cycle that dominated Anthem in 2019 meant Dragon Age 4 was, for one reason or another, not shown. Throughout 2020, BioWare has shown more and more of the game, which seemingly bodes well for what to expect at the Game Awards 2020.
It would also be remiss to not mention how Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah and BioWare GM Casey Hudson have recently departed the company. This has led many to panic about the project, but it’s worth mentioning that in regards to this specifically, these worries are a bit pre-mature. Several veteran developers remain, a game is not developed by one man, and the old guard eventually has to pass the torch. Instead of lamenting about what this could mean for the game negatively, it’s better to celebrate the years these devs have put into bringing this franchise so far (it was JUST Dragon Age Day after all). And look forward to what BioWare has to show in the here and now.
As BioWare has indeed shown more and more of the game over the year, it seems likely that the Game Awards 2020 will be its biggest showing so far. After all, not only does the build up to the event make sense, but the confirmation thereof as well as the fact that it lasted showed a teaser trailer there in 2018 are all points in this favor. However, there’s a few things fans should note.
Namely, when it did appear at The Game Awards 2018, the name wasn’t even confirmed. That likely means the bulk of the project has been worked on over the past two years, and the game is likely still years away. It seems that EA has it slated for fiscal year 2022, which would suggest any time period between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. The problem with this is that it’s likely meant to be near the end, so a Fall 2022 release date (and not factoring in potential delays) is like the goal right now. In other words, at the very least, it’s likely two years away still.
With this in mind, fans should be sure to temper expectations and what may be shown, while still reasonably expecting it to be the most forthcoming showcase this year. Another point that should fans keep in mind is that it’s a “special look,” as this oddly specific terminology could either suggest A.) an in-depth showcase and dive or B.) a standard run-of-the mill presentation with a special appearance at The Game Awards.
All things considered, it seems that fans can reasonable expect a proper trailer for Dragon Age 4. How much more is up for interpretation, but with two years at least to go, this could be the official start of its marketing cycle. This would suggest that fans would see more and more of it throughout 2021 going into 2022. Alongside a likely-mostly CG trailer, the most fans should expect is a confirmation of the real name as well as a potential release window (and not a date) to be confirmed. Either way, with just 4 days to go until The Game Awards, fans will know for sure relatively soon.
Dragon Age 4 is confirmed to be in development.
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