What you need to know
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a new action RPG from BioWare and Electronic Arts that's launched today on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Windows PC.
- It's one of 2024's most highly anticipated RPGs, and it's off to a very strong start on PC. Currently, it sits at the top of Steam's revenue-based Top Sellers chart.
- Notably, that means it's currently outperforming the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, knocking it down to second place. I expect the juggernaut FPS title to reclaim its position soon, but even so, The Veilguard's launch day performance on the platform is impressive.
- The Veilguard is the first new Dragon Age game in 10 years, with the last main entry, Inquisition, being a 2014 release. It's also the first single player RPG from BioWare since 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Most people care about October 31 because it's Halloween — the spookiest of all the holidays, and the one day of the year that cosplaying is universally seen as a cool thing to do. For lots of gamers, though, the thing that actually matters about today is that it's the release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a new highly anticipated RPG from BioWare and Electronic Arts. It's the first new game in the beloved fantasy franchise in 10 years, and after waves of "Generally Favorable" reviews earlier this week, it's gotten off to a roaring start on the PC gaming platform Steam.
At the time of writing, the latest Dragon Age title holds the top spot on Steam's revenue-based Top Sellers chart, surpassing other popular games like Helldivers 2 and even beating out last week's juggernaut multiplayer FPS Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from Microsoft, Xbox, and Activision. The RPG is certainly getting some help from Black Ops 6's availability on Xbox Game Pass, and I expect the shooter to reclaim its position shortly after The Veilguard's launch day, but even so, it's an impressive start for the new BioWare adventure.
I wasn't expecting the game's opening sales to temporarily propel it past a new entry in one of the most profitable game franchises in the world, but I suppose that's what happens when dedicated fans finally get the sequel they've been waiting a decade for. Indeed, this release has been a long time coming, and is arguably one of 2024's most pronounced RPG launches.
Notably, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the first new single player RPG from BioWare since 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda, and its first wholly original release since the failed multiplayer action RPG Anthem (I'm not counting the 2021 Mass Effect trilogy remasters). In many ways, it's a statement of "BioWare is back" after years of struggling to win fans over with its recent projects, and as a longtime fan of the developer, I'm glad to see it's doing well so far.
- Our Dragon Age review
- Dragon Age review roundup
- Dragon Age story recap
- The best classes to play
- The best factions to choose
- How to upgrade gear
- Best gaming handheld settings
Ironically, the one BioWare series I haven't tried before The Veilguard's release is Dragon Age itself, so my experience coming into this fourth main installment as a newcomer has been interesting. I've been playing through it this past week for coverage, and while I love the action gameplay — combat is fluid, engaging, and sufficiently challenging, and I like how nuanced the buildcrafting is, too — I've found the writing to be disappointing compared to, say, the Mass Effect games. There's a distinct lack of lasting conflict between characters and a fair amount of dialogue that's overly silly and lighthearted, which has me yearning for some meaningful depth. Still, I've enjoyed my time overall, and am looking forward to completing my playthrough.
If you're wondering, my colleague Samuel Tolbert reviewed Dragon Age: The Veilguard for Windows Central, giving it a score of 4/5 stars. He writes that "Dragon Age: The Veilguard is one of BioWare's most different titles yet, with an action-heavy focus that can be a mixed bag." Clearly, he likes the writing more than I do; he noted that "while not every story reveal here is perfectly handled, the characters you meet, both friend and foe, are among BioWare's best."
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Even factoring in my issues with the narrative, I can confidently say that I've enjoyed The Veilguard way more than Mass Effect: Andromeda, and I'm choosing to be optimistic about the next Mass Effect as a result. The writing may not live up to the standards set by past BioWare games, but the characters are all still pretty likeable, and the developer has done a good job making sure that lots of the choices you make throughout the story — both big and small — have tangible, meaningful consequences.
If you're interested in getting the game, it's available for $69.99 on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, and $59.99 on Windows PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the EA app. On PC, it's also playable through the Pro tier of EA Play, and since it's expected to eventually release on the regular version of EA Play, it's likely that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will eventually get access.
