BioWare’s long-awaited Dragon Age 4 is still in development at the beloved RPG studio, now known under the new title Dragon Age The Veilguard. The first game in the series since 2013’s Dragon Age Inquisition, fans of the series are desperately hunting to find out the Dragon Age The Veilguard release date on Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Previously known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, Veilguard is an all-new entry in the iconic fantasy series set in the brutal and unforgiving land of Thedas. While the name has been changed from its original title, the concept of the Dreadwolf is still said to be a major part of the story once the Dragon Age: The Veilguard release date arrives.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Release Date Estimate
During the Xbox Games Showcase, BioWare revealed a brand new trailer announcing that Dragon Age The Veilguard will be released in Fall 2024.
This makes sense, as the Dragon Age games typically release during the Fall season following their gameplay demo showcases. For example, Inquisition saw its first gameplay reveal in June 2014 and was subsequently released in November 2014.
This pattern is predicted to continue with the Dragon Age: The Veilguard release date. With a gameplay showcase planned for this June, and a reveal trailer stating Fall 2024, it’s estimated that the game will be released in November 2024.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Factions
As revealed via the official EA website, the player character Rook can choose which faction they belong to in character creator.
These organizations and factions are:
- Grey Wardens - A vigilant order of warriors who are sworn to stop Blights and fight against darkspawn. They undergo a secret rite called The Joining to grant them supernatural powers. The protagonist of Dragon Age: Origins was a Grey Warden.
- Veil Jumpers - Explorers and excavators of ancient elven ruins. If you can brave Arlathan's reality-warping magic, they're happy for you to join.
- Shadow Dragons - A Rebel faction based in Tevinter. They oppose corrupt rulers and slavery in Tevinter, and are determined to bring justice to the people.
- Lords of Fortune - Treasure hunters and explorers who hail from Rivain. They are famed for their daring exploits and narrow escapes.
- The Mourn Watch is an order of elite necromancers that tends to Nevarra's Grand Necropolis, a place where the undead walk and spirits dwell.
- Antivan Crows - Shadowy assassins who are both respected and feared due to their reputation.
Dragon Age The Veilguard First Look Gameplay
On June 11, BioWare unveiled the first look at the gameplay of Dragon Age The Veilguard. There, we saw the prologue of the game, in which player character Rook, along with companions Lace Harding and Varric Tethras, hunt for their contact, Neve Gallus, who has information on big bad Dreadwolf Solas.
The gameplay video revealed the game's combat, which is much more action-orientated than previous games, as well as the dialogue wheel. There was a glimpse into leveling and classes, but this was only brief. It also unveiled Solas's plans, which Rook managed to disrupt before the gameplay ended.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Platforms
If you’re wondering if Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, we have some bad news for you. While not officially announced, it will only be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
A LinkedIn profile of the game’s lead player designer at BioWare states that the game will only be released on the latest generation of consoles. While Dragon Age: Inquisition surprisingly saw release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 alongside the Xbox One and PS4 versions, this cross-platform launch isn’t planned for its sequel. This makes sense, as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Dragon Age: Inquisition were not as optimized as their PS4 and Xbox One counterparts.
All Dragon Age The Veilguard Characters
The Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest revealed the seven companions that would be traveling with Rook, the protagonist of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
These companions are:
- Bellara, a creative and romantic Veil Jumper obsessed with uncovering ancient secrets.
- Davrin, a bold and charming Grey Warden who has made a name for himself as a monster hunter.
- Emmrich, a necromancer of Nevarra's Mourn Watch who comes complete with a skeletal assistant, Manfred.
- Harding, the dwarven scout, returns to the fray as a companion with her big heart, a positive outlook, and a ready bow – as well as unexpected magical powers.
- Lucanis, a poised & pragmatic assassin who descends from the bloodline of the House of Crows, a criminal organization renowned throughout Thedas.
- Neve, a cynic fighting for a better future, both as a private detective and a member of Tevinter's rebellious Shadow Dragons.
- Taash, a dragon hunter allied with the Lords of Fortune who lives for adventure and doesn't mind taking risks.
A recent blog post for the upcoming RPG confirmed that the “seven unique characters that make up your companions will have deep and compelling storylines where the decisions you make will impact your relationships with them – as well as their lives”.
Outside of companions, it is not known how many recurring characters from previous Dragon Age games will make a dramatic return in this new entry. However, Dragon Age: Inquisition’s bald elf Solas returns as the main antagonist, and the most recent trailer revealed the return of Varric Tethras.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Romance Options
Like every other Dragon Age before it, romance options will be available in Dragon Age The Veilguard.
Furthermore, as confirmed by general manager Gary McKay's interview with IGN, companions will be able to be romanced by anyone. This is a divisive change from Dragon Age: Inquisition, which restricted who you could romance based on your character's race and gender.
It has further been confirmed that all of your companions are pansexual, not playersexual. This will be further conveyed in the game itself.
Also, companions can strike up a romance with one another if they aren't romanced by the player character, Rook. This has happened before in previous games, such as in Dragon Age 2 with Fenris and Isabela, as well as Iron Bull and Dorian in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Find out more about Dragon Age The Veilguard's romance options via our romance guide.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Character Creation
Currently, we have not been shown the character creator (CC) for Dragon Age the Veilguard. However, thanks to Michael Gamble's social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Game Informer, we have been able to glean some information about character creation. Gamble is a Project Director and Executive Producer at BioWare.
For one thing, players will be able to play one of these four races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Qunari. This was exactly the same selection for Dragon Age: Inquisition, so it's good to know that players will finally be able to play these choices in the upcoming game.
Gamble also confirmed that players would be able to change companions' armor.
It has since been revealed that, in addition to creating their own character at the start of the game, players will also get the chance to recreate their Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Some of the things included in the character creator will be:
- Tattoos
- Horn Types
- Vitiligo
- Body Sliders
- Multiple lighting options
- 4 different voice types (and availability to pitch)
During character creation, players will also be able to choose the faction they belong to. This will work almost like an origin story and will give a unique reason for why Rook is with Varric at the start of the game.
For more information about character creation, check out our Dragon Age The Veilguard Character Creation Explained guide.
Dragon Age The Veilguard Combat Explained
As a series, gameplay has differed between each Dragon Age game, particularly for combat. Dragon Age: Origins was a tabletop down point-and-click experience with clunky combat that has aged poorly, but was well-loved and widely adored back when it first launched.
Since then, Dragon Age has slowly become less of a tactical RPG, with both Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition becoming more action-orientated. Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems to forego this level of tactical strategy found in the late 2000s completely, adopting a more action RPG approach.
Designed more like a fantasy Mass Effect than a traditional Dragon Age game, The Veilguard puts emphasis on the new Abilities Wheel to dish out your most powerful attacks.
However, The Veilguard will feature the return of Dragon Age's Tactical Pause during combat. This means that you'll be able to pause the game and plan out your attacks.
Moment-to-moment combat is the most action-focused part of the Dragon Age series. An evolution of Inqusition's hack-and-slash combat, you can now perform massive combos with slick movements across magic, sword fighting, ranged crossbows, and more.
Does Dragon Age The Veilguard Have Co-op Multiplayer?
Multiplayer for Dragon Age The Veilguard will not be available. After the release of Anthem, all multiplayer and live-service elements planned for earlier versions of Dragon Age: The Veilguard have been removed. Instead, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a purely single-player adventure without any multiplayer or co-op options.