There's a lot riding on BioWare's Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, especially since it will be the first mainline entry in the series since 2014. Some fans felt the developer mishandled one of its other big franchises after the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017, so Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is the studio's chance to prove that its beloved properties are in safe hands. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is already looking to shake up the series quite a bit, and players are hoping for some fundamental changes, like improvements to how different classes and races can specialize.
Race has always been a big part of Dragon Age narratives so far, and with Solas' ultimate goal to reinstate the elvhen and destroy the Veil – potentially to the detriment of other species that call Thedas home – it seems like it will play another prominent role in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. That being said, race has not really been a major factor in classes or combat up until now with a few exceptions like race-specific gear. Not only does it make sense for race to figure more in the specialization options for classes, but it will also help to set Dragon Age: Dreadwolf apart from the previous entries in the series as well.
Class Specializations Based On Dragon Age Races
While players can choose their class at the start of a Dragon Age playthrough, they have the chance to further refine their skillset through subclasses known as specializations. Not only do they allow gamers to customize their protagonists even more, but they open up new layers to the class-specific abilities for either a Mage, Rogue, or Warrior. Each previous mainline Dragon Age game has had its own approach to specializations for main characters and their companions, but many are hoping that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf re-examines the whole system.
Previously, specializations in Dragon Age games have been purely based on the class, with each race able to access the same specializations depending on their class. While it makes sense that mages might have had similar training and therefore be able to utilize a similar set of spells, there are so many more directions Dragon Age: Dreadwolf could take this system. One way to innovate it and also add a ton of replay value would be to not only base specializations on class, but also on race, or even on race alone. This way, each class could still have a number of options for players to choose from, but they would all be unique to the race of the protagonist.
Human Class Specializations
Players have already seen a range of specializations in previous Dragon Age games, including some that were specific to certain companions like Vivienne's Knight-Enchanter moves in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Her unique role as an Orlesian mage and personal enchanter to Empress Celene perfectly combines with her formidable fighting skills in the Knight-Enchanter specialization, which includes both magic and melee attacks. Something like a Knight-Enchanter specialization is perfect for human characters, especially in a society like the Tevinter Imperium which prizes magical talent but would also have a use for skilled combatants with melee weaponry.
With what players have seen of Tevinter so far in the brief glimpses of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, it seems as if the next game will adopt more of a steampunk aesthetic alongside its traditional fantasy themes. This could add new layers of technology like firearms that could be specific to humans of Tevinter origin, which could be a cool way of tying in the new setting to the game's updated class specializations. There may be rumors of never-before-seen races or groups in the next game, but humans will probably be one of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's main focuses, as well as their long and contentious history with elves.
Qunari Class Specializations
The qunari are still a relatively mysterious culture, even though Dragon Age games have featured two qunari companions so far. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's Tevinter setting may mean that they feature more prominently, and thanks to some early concept art it seems like players may even be getting a female qunari companion for the very first time. Dragon Age: Inquisition also allowed players to choose a qunari protagonist, which was another first for the series, but this didn't necessarily teach them that much more about qunari history. Class specializations that are tailored specifically to qunari culture would be fascinating, and could reflect aspects like their superior technological advances and ingenious use of the explosive powder gaatlok in a Warrior class.
Dwarf Class Specializations
Dwarves are well known in Dragon Age games as a non-magical race, but The Descent DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition seemed to introduce the possibility of magic-wielding dwarves. Players still don't know too much about the mysterious Titans – ancient beings that live deep beneath the surface – but it seems like they could be key to dwarves gaining something akin to magic.
Mages tend to be a popular class, and it's always been a shame that gamers that want to play as a dwarf character in a Dragon Age game haven't had the opportunity to choose that class before. A mage with dwarven specializations that could link to stone shaping and Titan-like powers would be awesome, and definitely a great way to properly introduce magical dwarves to the series in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Elf Class Specializations
Although Arcane Warrior may be a specialization in Dragon Age: Origins and is reportedly similar to a Knight-Enchanter according to Solas, it's a role more associated to ancient elves than current ones in Dragon Age lore. Thanks to Solas' aim to bring back a lot of old elven culture, featuring this race specific specialization just makes sense for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Like the Knight-Enchanter, an Arcane Warrior was someone who combined magic and spellcraft with more physicality, inhabiting a space between a Mage and a Warrior. This would not only give players more flexibility when they approach combat, but it also ties in with the franchise's lore and Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's story in a satisfying way.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.