DRAGON AGE DREADWOLF: SEQUEL TO INQUISITION?
Mass Effect and Dragon Age are two beloved sagas among gamers, both destined to continue with new installments in development at Bioware. However, information about them has been released sparingly, creating an air of mystery. Dragon Age seems to be in a more advanced development stage compared to the next Mass Effect. To shed some light and pique your curiosity, we have gathered the latest updates, trailers, and everything we know today about both the fantasy RPG and the sci-fi one.
When Dragon Age 4 was first announced at The Game Awards 2018, we only knew the title of its brief trailer: The Dread Wolf Rises. Although no official information about the plot, setting, and characters was provided at that time, some elements in the promotional Video hinted that Dreadwolf could be set after the events of Dragon Age Inquisition. In particular, the presence of the dwarf Varric Tethras, introduced in 2011 with Dragon Age 2, and an idol made of Lyrium, a precious mineral present in the lands of Thedas, seemed to suggest that the dark elf Solas would have an important role in the new episode. Although it is yet to be confirmed, a post on the official BioWare blog has made this somewhat clearer.
An excerpt from the post reads: “Solas, the Dreadwolf: some say he is an ancient elven god, while others disagree. They are divided between those who tell of how Solas betrayed his own people and those who consider him a savior, willing to help them at the cost of destroying the world. His motivations are inscrutable and his methods often questionable, giving him a reputation as a ‘god of deception,’ playing with darkness and contempt for danger.” This description seems to indicate Solas as an antagonist, but it’s too early to say for certain. What is certain is that Dragon Age Dreadwolf will let us play as a completely new protagonist, with a new story rich in characters, situations, and locations never seen before in the saga.
The first rumors about Dragon Age Dreadwolf had worried fans since it hinted at a “multiplayer” and a “live service” game. However, subsequent reports from EA and the success of single-player products like Star Wars Jedi Survivor suggest that Dragon Age Dreadwolf has been confirmed as a single-player RPG, like its predecessors. There have been no major revelations about the specific gameplay mechanics since then. The last update, in February 2023, mentioned complex skill trees that would allow players to customize their characters differently from traditional linear progression systems.
The latest teaser trailer, released on December 4, 2023, provided more recent information, focusing on revealing some of the locations in Dreadwolf, previously unseen in the series. The lands of Anderfels, Rivain, and Antiva showed promising images, providing further hints about possible characters and narrative situations. Dragon Age Dreadwolf has no fixed release date, but the teaser trailer in December 2023 indicated a generic “summer 2024” for the “full reveal” of the new fantasy game made by BioWare.
THE NEW MASS EFFECT: 4 OR 5?
Compared to Dragon Age Dreadwolf, the information about the next Mass Effect is even scarcer. Not only has the official game title not been released, but there have been fewer dedicated communications to the community. The most debated topic among fans is the game’s position in relation to Mass Effect Andromeda. Considering the latter as Mass Effect 4, the next in line should be Mass Effect 5. There are only two brief teaser trailers (without gameplay) to fuel the curiosity of fans. Although not very revealing, it is clear that the next Mass Effect will be set in the same universe as the previous ones.
The presence of images of two different galaxies, possibly the same where the first three episodes and Andromeda took place, hints at the game’s setting. Additionally, the appearance of the huge “Reapers” in the trailer suggests that the next Mass Effect is connected to the events of the original trilogy. The last piece of news provided by BioWare about the new Mass Effect is an even shorter teaser released on November 7, 2023, titled “N7 DAYS.” Although it only lasts 34 seconds, some fans may have found some secrets by carefully analyzing it and studying the process preceding its release on Youtube and the official website. These are just speculations, pending official confirmations likely to come in 2024.
The teaser trailer shows a mysterious figure wearing a helmet inside a spaceship, followed by the title “Mass Effect.” What is more interesting are the distribution methods of this content and some details understandable only to the most avid fans. It all started with a binary code communication from BioWare’s director, Michael Gamble, which, when decrypted, read “Epsilon.” Epsilon is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, leading to speculation about the game’s position in the series timeline. This was further fueled by the appearance of “Andromeda” in the accompanying text to the mini clips released on the official website.
The last clues came with an illustration of the protagonist, where numerous figures of various races like Geth, Salarian, Asari, Human, Angaran, Turian, Krogan, and Hanar can be seen within the character’s flowing cloak. More details are yet to come, with the possibility that 2024 may not contain two major full reveals from the same development house. If Dragon Age Dreadwolf is set to be unveiled in the summer of 2024, the space journey in Mass Effect may still be quite distant.