BioWare Boss Teases 'Dragon Age 4' Release Date and More Surprises

BioWare has big plans to update its already-released games and shock fans with a handful of new titles. Thursday the Canadian game developer touched based with its fans and assured them that the rest of 2019 and onward will be chock full of new downloadable content (DLC) and other surprises. So does that mean we’re finally getting Dragon Age 4?

Casey Hudson BioWare developer published a blog post ensuring gamers that improvements are coming to Anthem and Star Wars: The Old Republic all while teasing a long long-awaited Dragon Age installment and several other secret projects.

“We have several other big projects in the works,” wrote Hudson. “I wish I could tell you more about them, but they’re mostly super-secret right now. I can say however that one of our projects has a large and growing team in Edmonton working through pre-production, and based on the progress I’m seeing, I can confirm that indeed the Dread Wolf rises.”

The update laid out a rough outline for what BioWare has in store across its entire portfolio of titles and how it plans on expanding it. It’s two most recent releases, Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, both fell short of expectations. Could this be the beginning of a BioWare comeback?

Here’s what to expect from the developer and what new titles it could soon announce.

Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises Update

Nine months after a teaser trailer for the fourth major installment for the Dragon Age series dropped at the 2018 Games Awards, fans finally received reassurance that the fantasy RPG is well on its way. Unfortunately, gamers will likely need to be patient for at least another two years.

Sources familiar with the development of Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises told VentureBeat that it’ll be ready no earlier than 2021. That’s a great deal of waiting considering that Dragon Age: Inquisition was released in 2014. The lag in development is also partially due to BioWare’s complicated relationship with its parent company Electronic Arts.

BioWare and EA have butted heads about financial goals and the type of games fans expect from the developer, reported Kotaku in April. This led to the departure of vital Dragon Age staff members, like creative director Mike Laidlaw in October 2017, forcing the team to overhaul their plans for the fourth Dragon Age game.

But Wednesday’s update should come as a relief to fans that the game’s future has been streamlined.

What Could BioWare’s “Super-Secret” Projects Be?

BioWare also has a few surprises in its arsenal, but what could these “super-secret” projects that Hudson mentioned be?

He clearly distinguished them from the titles mentioned by name in the post, so unless the company announces a whole new franchise there’s one glaring possibility: Mass Effect.

The science-fiction RPG was put “on ice” in 2017 following the lukewarm reviews of Mass Effect Andromeda. The title was bashed for its lazy facial animations and weak writing, which tarnished the reputation of the star-studded franchise.

BioWare could be planning a reboot to address the criticisms Andromeda received, but don’t expect any news soon. The developer is putting a lot of stock into the Dragon Age series, plus new Anthem and Star Wars: The Old Republic content.

Anthem and SWTOR Updates

Hudson also said the Anthem team is working hard to “bring out the full potential of the game,” including some “fundamental improvements.” No timeline was given for these updates, but something late in 2019 or 2020 is likely, especially if BioWare doesn’t want Anthem to be forgotten.

Finally, the Star Wars: The Old Republic Onslaught expansion was confirmed for release this fall. The DLC will add two new planets and a refreshed item system for the eight-year-old online game.

The remainder of 2019 and early 2020 could be make or break for the company, especially after Anthem and Andromeda’s rocky releases. Expect BioWare to take swings at winning back fans with some of its iconic franchises, even if Dragon Age 4 is still a few years away.