Founded all the way back in the mid-1990s, BioWare is still one of the most popular western RPG developers around, even if its recent history hasn't been quite as decorated as its past. After proving itself with Baldur's Gate, BioWare was acquired by EA in the early 2000s, where it went on to create some of the greatest western RPGs of all time, including Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Unfortunately, BioWare's recent releases, namely Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, haven't been all that great, and fans are hoping that the developer's upcoming projects are a little more in line with their past works.
BioWare has a pretty full slate right now, with both a new Dragon Age and a new Mass Effect on the way, both of which are fully-fledged mainline entries in their respective franchises. Along with that, BioWare is also still updating Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is about to hit its 12th anniversary. Though these titles may not release in 2023, fans are holding out hope that they'll at least see more from these upcoming BioWare games by the end of the year.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Could Release in 2023
A fourth Dragon Age game has been in the works for quite some time. Originally codenamed "Joplin," this 2015 version of Dragon Age 4 was delayed significantly when the majority of its development team was forced to help get Mass Effect Andromeda out the door, and eventually canceled allegedly due to its lack of live-service elements to provide ongoing monetization. Dragon Age 4 was then restarted in 2018, and the success of single-player titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order convinced EA to let BioWare leave out the game's planned multiplayer components.
Despite a shocking number of lead developers leaving the project over the last few years, Dragon Age 4 is still progressing in development, and last year it got the official title of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. BioWare also revealed that the game was now playable from start to finish, and that it was officially in its Alpha stage. While this led to a lot of speculation among fans, it's impossible to discern just how long Dreadwolf could be in this Alpha stage for, and a release date still hasn't been set.
According to the latest rumors, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf could potentially release in late 2023, likely during the Fall, though it might be more likely for it to appear in 2024. While a 2024 release date would give BioWare even more time to ensure that game is polished, it would also help to fill out EA's slate for next year, with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor already being its tent pole release this year. Regardless, fans should still see more from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in 2023.
BioWare Could Show More of Mass Effect in 2023
At the 2020 Game Awards, fans got their first look at a brand new Mass Effect game, along with the confirmation that it was in fact a direct sequel to the events of the original trilogy, as opposed to an Andromeda-like spinoff. Aside from that trailer, a poster, and a few leaked concept art images, not a lot else has been revealed about the next Mass Effect game, and that's because it's still in pretty early development. According to BioWare's Gary McKay, the next Mass Effect only began its prototyping phase in February 2022, meaning that the game has only been in real development for about a year, and therefore suggesting that it's still quite a ways out. Still, fans could see another cinematic trailer at some point in 2023, possibly teasing more story and setting details.
More Star Wars: The Old Republic Content Seems Unlikely for 2023
Star Wars: The Old Republic is about to hit its 12th birthday, and it's certainly starting to show its age. While BioWare has been fairly good about updating The Old Republic on a semi-regular basis, support has definitely slowed down, with the last expansion coming a year ago. What's worse is that BioWare hasn't given any form of roadmap for Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2023, with fans having no idea if they'll see any new content at all this year. While The Old Republic is sure to receive content updates of some kind, fans shouldn't expect to see any major, or even minor, expansions in 2023.