And now it's official. Several hours after the release date slipped out early on social media, Electronic Arts has confirmed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will launch on October 31, and is available for preorder now on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the EA App.
As is the way of things things, we also have a full-on launch trailer, giving us an all-new look at the looming battle against corrupt elven gods who are bent on blighting the world. EA warned on Twitter of "mild story spoilers," so don't click the button if you don't want to blow any surprises.
"In this bold, heroic adventure, players will experience expansive and dynamic stories that navigate love, loss and complex choices that affect relationships and the fate of each member of the Veilguard," EA said. "In true Dragon Age fashion, these bonds of fellowship are the foundation upon which Rook’s journey is built, and it will be up to the player to determine how their personal story unfolds."
Electronic Arts has more reveals planned for the lead-up to the launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, including a "high-level combat and PC spotlight" showcase next week, a "Companions Week" beginning on August 26, and a developer Q&A session on Discord set for August 30.
Original story:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's release date seems to have leaked early, with the long-awaited RPG sequel allegedly set to release on October 31.
EA and BioWare planned to reveal the game's launch date later today, but the date was revealed ahead of time by a release date trailer uploaded to Streamable , spotted by the eagle-eyed Twitter account Wario64.
The launch date reveal was supposed to be the first step on The Veilguard's tightly organised roadmap to release, but instead has become the latest stumble on what has proved a rough marketing road for BioWare's fantasy RPG. In June, the game's reveal trailer dropped to a decidedly mixed reception, as it introduced its characters as if they were avatars in a hero shooter. The subsequent gameplay reveal helped calm the waters a little, but still left some questioning BioWare's trajectory for the series in a radically changing RPG landscape.
It isn't just the marketing side of the game that has raised eyebrows either. BioWare's developers have also made some odd comments about the series, such as claiming that The Veilguard will be the first game in the series where "the combat's actually fun" and where characters are "intentionally" the focus of the storytelling, both of which seems like a disservice to those earlier games. That said, there have been some more positive assertions from BioWare, such as its statement that the game's structure will be "mission-based" rather than open world, and that players won't be "gathering shards in the Hinterlands.".
Although the release date itself may have spilled online early, the (now somewhat awkwardly named) release date reveal trailer will nonetheless arrive at 5pm BST/1pm ET , and will hopefully contain some more info about the game beyond said timing of the launch. This isn't the only showcase BioWare has planned for August, either. Looking further ahead, on Monday BioWare will detail the game's high-level combat and spotlight the PC version (which you can guarantee we'll be watching like a Dragon eyes its hoard). This will be followed by "Companions week", starting August 26, and a developer Discord Q&A on August 30. Let's hope the rest of the roadmap runs a little smoother, and that what BioWare reveals gives us a clearer picture of how the RPG will actually play.
