The Dragon Age franchise is one of the most beloved to ever come out of BioWare, and the fact that a sequel is in development is no doubt enticing. This time around, Dragon Age fans will be exploring Tevinter and dealing with Solas’ plot to destroy the Veil, in the appropriately-titled Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Of course, news on this title has been slow. It was first teased back in 2018 and has undergone some changes since then, with one aspect being that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will have a single-player focus. For many, this franchise doesn’t need multiplayer—and some would see its enforced inclusion, especially if with microtransactions—as a mistake. However, that would hardly be the only mistake the franchise has ever made.
No game is perfect, but how a developer listens to its community speaks volumes. According to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf creative director John Epler, BioWare is doing just that. He openly admits that he is limited to what can say for legal reasons, but that “it’s entirely, completely fair to say that DA has had problems with BIPOC representation in past games.” He also states that addressing this representation is something BioWare is committed to, and asking the company to do better in this regard is not wrong.
It's entirely understandable how NDAs and legalities limit what Epler can add to this conversation, but hopefully, it’s something a Dragon Age: Dreadwolf trailer can allay, whenever the time is right. For now, he also responded to a few comments on this post. Namely, he does mention that paid consultants were a commitment early on, in response to someone stating there's hope that BioWare is talking with people within the BIPOC community to get things right and avoid harmful, racist stereotypes.
Furthermore, one fan discussed criticism around Dragon Age characters Alistair, Fiona, and Briala as all examples of whitewashed brown and BIPOC-coded characters across the books and games. Again, limited to what he could say, Epler does respond this is a fair critique and that Bioware is aware of these shortcomings and is “actively addressing” them.
This transparency and honesty seem to be appreciated by the Dragon Age community, with many also understanding how Epler’s hands are tied here as to how much he can say. The real proof, of course, will be in the pudding. Improved BIPOC representation is something that would easily be seen in trailers, the character creation options, and far more, whenever Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s release date comes around.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.