As Dragon Age: The Veilguard's bold new tone gets bashed by fans, the RPG's original co-creator explains trailers are always mismatched, "so that doesn't mean much"

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Dragon Age The Veilguard

Dragon Age: The Veilguard(previously known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf or Dragon Age 4) has reared its head with a new trailer after years in the murky shadows of game development, showing off a much brighter, bolder, divisive take on the beloved dark fantasy world. But Dragon Age’s original lead writer has quelled fan concerns.

David Gaider was onceBioWare’s lead writer on all three Dragon Age games and is often credited as the setting’s main architect - though, nowadays, he can be seen directingmusical theatre RPGsat his own studio - so, he’s pretty clued into the world of Thedas. Gaider recently took to social media to call Veilguard’s boisterous personality an “interesting tone choice,” while acknowledging that early trailers can often butt heads with the final product.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Official Reveal Trailer - YouTubeWatch On

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Official Reveal Trailer - YouTube

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Official Reveal Trailer - YouTube

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Official Reveal Trailer - YouTube

“The art style of [Dragon Age] trailers has never really matched the games, so that doesn’t mean much,” Gaidertweetedin the game’s defense. “One thing the trailer left me wondering: can I… be a hero? Not sure ‘this is your power fantasy’ was underlined enough.”

“DA fans (and anti-fans) will be all over the place, I’m certain,” he adds. “Nothing’s worse for a fan than the initial reveal of what a game actually is, because it’s simultaneously popping all those imaginary hope balloons of what the game could have been. The end of so many dreams.”

Whether Veilguard pops the dark fantasy bubble or goes back to the series' roots remains to be seen, but at least the 10-year wait is almost over.Dragon Age: The Veilguard is due to launch this fallwithseven companions and some returning facestoo. BioWare is also airing a 15-minute walkthrough on June 11 where we’ll get a clearer picture on what’s up.

Take a look ateverything else announced at the Xbox Games Showcase.

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3

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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4

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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

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