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Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Leads On The Title Change And Solas’ Position In The Story


Dragon Age 4 was revealed years in the past underneath the title Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Nevertheless, with seemingly months to go earlier than the sport’s fall 2024 launch, BioWare introduced it was altering the title to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Forward of that announcement, Sport Informer visited BioWare’s Edmonton workplace for an unique take a look at the sport for our Dragon Age: The Veilguard cowl story. It is right here we realized that the title had modified.

I interviewed numerous Veilguard leads for the quilt story, and one of many first questions I requested every of them was, “Why the title change?” Here is what every instructed me: 

BioWare’s Leads On Altering The Title To Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Veilguard sport director Corinne Busche: “To begin with, I’d say that these video games are reflections of the groups that make them, and as a part of that, it means we study rather a lot about what the guts and soul of the sport actually is as we’re growing it. And we shortly realized and realized that absolutely the beating coronary heart of this sport are these genuine various companions. Once we took a step again, as we at all times do, we at all times verify our choices and be sure that they nonetheless symbolize the sport we’re attempting to construct. It simply felt like we wanted a title that represented what this sport was really about. 

Now, I wish to be clear: I like Solas [and] he performs an essential function within the sport, however this isn’t a sport about Solas. So in all issues we do, attempting to seize that genuine expertise, we felt the title actually wanted to vary.”

Veilguard inventive director John Epler: “Dragon Age has at all times been about characters, not simply the villains, but in addition your staff, your companions, the opposite characters on the planet. And as we have been constructing Dragon Age: The Veilguard – there’s this analogy I like to make use of, which is, ‘If you wish to carve an elephant out of marble, you simply take a bit of marble and take away all the things that does not appear like an elephant.’ As we have been constructing this sport, it grew to become actually clear that it was much less that we have been attempting to make The Veilguard and extra like The Veilguard was taking form as we constructed the sport. 

Solas remains to be a central determine in it. He is nonetheless a major character. However actually, the main target shifts to the staff. It is concerning the folks you recruit. It is about stopping the top of the world with this group of specialists, these extremely fascinating and various characters that you simply recruit into your staff. [We] realized Dreadwolf suggests a title centered on a particular particular person, whereas The Veilguard, very similar to Inquisition, focuses extra on the staff.”

BioWare common supervisor Gary McKay: “First, let me say: Solas remains to be very a lot a part of this sport. That is completely nothing to say that he is taking a again seat. However after we mirrored on what was actually the heartbeat of this sport, we actually noticed the companions leaping out at us. I feel you could possibly argue [these companions] are the very best the franchise has ever seen. We now have seven extremely distinctive characters, every with their very own personalities, motivations; they’ve deep tales, and you’ve got a chance to essentially work together with these characters in a approach that each shapes their story but in addition influences the primary story, proper all the way down to having a chance to affect their destiny. 

It isn’t simply the story; they’re additionally integral to the gameplay as nicely. And so once you take a look at it from actually what the heartbeat of this sport is, the centerpiece of the sport, it is concerning the companions – the Veilguard. We felt that the title wanted to mirror what we thought the centerpiece of this sport was.”

Former Dragon Age govt producer and Veilguard marketing consultant Mark Darrah: “I feel it is completely the precise selection. Names can tackle a momentum. Arguably, this sport has form of, in a approach, been referred to as Dreadwolf to a point since its earlier days. As the sport advanced, as [BioWare] discovered precisely what it was, it’s extremely mature to step again and say, ‘We referred to as it one thing. Does it actually nonetheless mirror what the sport is?’ And I feel the very fact the staff was keen to take that step is superb, and I feel that is completely the precise resolution.”

The Solas In The Room

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dreadwolf Game Informer Cover Story

Once I ask about Solas’ function within the story after I study his namesake is now not within the sport title, Darrah says Veilguard remains to be taking the Elven God’s narrative in a great course. He provides, “It permits us to, hopefully, give a great conclusion to all the various attitudes towards Solas which are going to be coming from individuals who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, individuals who wish to kick Solas off of a constructing – I feel that we provide the alternative to deliver that to an in depth, however then inform a higher story about The Veilguard and concerning the world as an entire.”

Speaking to Epler, I study extra about how Solas is not precisely the large dangerous I anticipated earlier than seeing the opening hours of Veilguard. There’s much more nuance to everybody’s favourite bald elf. 

“Essentially the most fascinating villains to myself, and truthfully most individuals, will not be simply straight up, ‘I wish to finish the world.’ To them, they’re the heroes of the story, and Solas isn’t any exception,” Epler tells me. “Solas at all times feels that he’s a tragic hero however a hero nonetheless, so he is coming into this believing firmly that what he did, that which you stopped him from doing, was the precise factor – that you simply made a mistake. However now he is trapped and may’t attain out and actively have an effect on [Thedas], so he must work with you.

“That enables us to supply numerous nuance to that relationship,” Epler says.

If you happen to’re questioning what Epler means when he says Solas trapped, it is fairly literal – within the sport’s prologue, which is a part of the 20-minute gameplay section BioWare just lately launched (the above video), the player-character Rook and companions Lace Harding, Varric Tethras, and Neve Gallus cease Solas’ try to destroy the Veil, a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas. I will not spoil precisely what occurs right here, however Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like panorama to the voice of Solas himself… as a result of he is trapped right here.

He explains he was trying to maneuver the Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain, each of whom are a part of the Evanuris or Elven gods of historical occasions, to a brand new jail as a result of the previous one was now not containing them correctly. Sadly for Solas, he is trapped right here – the Fade – by our doing and Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain are free, blighted, and roaming Thedas. It is as much as Rook to cease them, nevertheless it appears they’re going to must work with Solas (or not less than hearken to his steering and recommendation) to take action. 

“So one of many rules we took to after we have been constructing the story of The Veilguard early on was we needed the start of the sport to really feel like the ultimate chapter of an earlier story and also you’re coming in proper on the finish, you are coming in as for those who’ve been chasing Solas – the [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC] who mentioned he was going to finish the world and tear down the Veil,” Epler provides. 

Epler says gamers will see early on (and because the narrative develops throughout Veilguard) that Solas sees a lot of himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, particularly “the elements that possibly he does not wish to face.” In consequence, there’s an fascinating push and pull between Solas and Rook. He says gamers can outline the connection between these two characters with their decisions in dialogue. 

“You’ll be able to proceed to be suspicious and hostile in the direction of him, or you can begin to see him and discover that frequent floor, that connection between the 2 of you, and actually develop a distinct relationship over the course of the story,” Epler says.


For extra concerning the sport, together with unique particulars, interviews, video options, and extra, click on the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button beneath.

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