The release of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is now rumored to be pushed back even further following the recent layoffs at BioWare. Noted writer Jeff Grubb has speculated via his Giant Bomb (Games Mess Mornings) podcast that the title could be a casualty of ongoing duress in BioWare. He has been following the development of the next installment for some time and, so far, has been fairly accurate in his predictions for its release timeline via his ties to the industry.
BioWare first released a teaser trailer for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in 2018 (back then still untitled and commonly referred to as Dragon Age 4) and since then potential release dates have ranged from next month to this Spring 2024, and now it might not even get here until Spring 2025.
Mass carnage in layoffs and exits
Even before the latest firings at BioWare, there have been numerous keystaff exits since the teaser trailer which were already suspected to cause delays with its release so Jeff’s predictions only gain credence in light of the latest events. From its Senior Creative Director, Matt Goldman to Studio GM Casey Hudson (Mass Effect) and Executive Producer Mark Darrah (Dragon Age), and now Mary Kirby who has been deeply involved with the franchise since its beginnings along with BioWare technical director Jon Renish, the team has experienced a great number of key losses at the top and bottom. Former lead writer David Gaider posted about Mary’s firing on social media.
BioWare laid off Varric's creator, Mistress of the Qunari, Writer of the Chant, who was there since Dragon Age's inception. How incredibly sad.
— David Gaider (@davidgaider) August 23, 2023
I'll echo others saying that any studio in need of narrative expertise should snap her up immediately. Mary is amazing, full stop. https://t.co/nUa86nHKyG
David goes on to add that another team member who had been at BioWare for over 25 years had also been let go.
Per Game World Observer:
“David Gaider later noted that BioWare also laid off writer Lukas Kristjanson, who has been with the studio for over 25 years. “We used to call him Old Man Luke and Writer Alpha — there since [Baldur’s Gate 1], the writer behind Minsc and Joker and so many more,” Gaider wrote. “One of Bio’s longest-serving employees.”
Jeff goes on to explain that as team members from the upcoming Mass Effect game are pulled into working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, it too is likely to experience its own share of setbacks.