Dragon Age 4 Reportedly Restarted Development In 2017
A recent array of troubles have reportedly come to light over the last few weeks regarding BioWare and the lengthy development of Anthem, the studio officially coming forward to address these accusations. With multiple projects in the works at the moment, among them being the long-awaited Dragon Age 4, the question remains regarding how behind-the-scenes drama may have affected future releases.
According a a new report from Kotaku, the upcoming Dragon Age was all set to begin development, this time set on improving on the previous problems faced with Dragon Age: Inquisition. Codenamed “Joplin,” BioWare personnel Mark Darrah and Mike Laidlaw were said to have overseen the project shortly after Inquisition’s release of the Trespasser expansion in 2015, where “exciting” plans were said to have been laid out to better handle the challenges ahead of them.
The plan for Joplin was exciting, say people who worked on it. First and foremost, they already had many tools and production pipelines in place after Inquisition, ones that they hoped to improve and continue using for this new project. They committed to prototyping ideas early and often, testing as quickly as possible rather than waiting until everything was on fire, as they had done the last time thanks to the glut of people and Frostbite’s difficulties.”
All was reportedly on track to usher in a memorable experience for fans as well as those creatively involved, with developers making sure work went smoothly in every conceivable capacity. One unnamed employee cited “some of the best work experiences” they’d ever had took place on Joplin, confirming work towards “a hugely reactive game, smaller in scope than Dragon Age: Inquisition but much larger in player choice, followers, reactivity, and depth.”
However, it appears this iteration of Dragon Age 4 wasn’t meant to be, as the report states that Joplin was put on hold following the troubled developments of Mass Effect: Andromeda as well as Anthem. Kotaku reports that “late 2017” saw Anthem especially in need of work, and EA and BioWare made the “drastic” decision to cancel Joplin and focus efforts to finish the project on time. While this wouldn’t be the end of Dragon Age 4, it would seem to be for Joplin, as a number of notable staff have since left BioWare including the project’s creative lead Mike Laidlaw.
Kotaku iterates that a new version of the title has since begun under the codename “Morrison,” this being the version teased at The Game Awards back in December. While still in beginning stages, recent reports suggest different plans are currently in mind for Dragon Age 4’s direction, with an extended multiplayer focus and much of Anthem’s code being considered for the game this time around.
What do you think? Are you upset we’ll never get to see the “Joplin” version of Dragon Age 4, or are you more worried about about what “Morrison” may have to offer? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
