Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s First Month Decline on Steam Reflects Major Challenges for BioWare

77% decline means Veilguard has a 22% player retention rate

The early performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard on Steam reveals troubling trends for BioWare in the wake of the game industry’s declaration that it was a “return to form.” The game saw a sharp decline in its peak player count on Steam, dropping from 89,418 during its launch weekend to just 19,715 a month later. This 77% drop indicates ever-dwindling engagement since Veilguard’s release, which aligns with other signs of trouble for the title.

Achievement data on Steam highlights further issues with player retention. According to the information available, 89.5% of all Steam players completed Part 1 of Veilguard. However, a month later only 25.3% of players have reached “Part 14” of the game, suggesting that nearly three-quarters of the audience either abandoned the game early, never progressed significantly, or returned their Steam copies for which there was an increased spike in Steam refund requests when the game first launched. While this number has increased This figure contrasts sharply with the deeper engagement typically seen in prior BioWare RPGs and raises concerns about the game’s ability to captivate its audience.

77% decline means Veilguard has a 22% player retention rate

Adding to the game’s woes, Veilguard struggled critically. Despite glowing reviews from video game outlets and journalists, its sole nomination for “Innovation in Accessibility” at The Game Awards is regarded as a “participation trophy,” failing to secure significant recognition. Reasons for why a crucially-acclaimed title failed to deliver at the Game awards have been attributed to criticism of the game’s writing, a lack of expansion plans, and deviations from the franchise’s traditionally dark and mature tone. Factors which have left fans, and some critics, questioning BioWare’s strategic direction and abilities to match the quality and scope of the company’s early days.

The commercial value of the game also plummeted. Retailers like GameStop reduced the trade-in value to just $22, reflecting declining demand a week after the game launched. Though it should be noted that, at the time of this article’s publication, the trade-in value has increased to $27.50 for the PlayStation 5 version and $33 for the XBOX Series X. However, Veilguard’s early depreciation is an ominous sign for long-term sales potential.

 

 

Veilguard’s struggles on Steam mark another potential blow for BioWare following the failures of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. With the studio immediately shifting its focus to Mass Effect 5 shortly after Veilguard’s release, and no plans for DLC for the fantasy action RPG, it remains uncertain whether BioWare can recover its reputation as a premier RPG developer or that Veilguard will gain further traction in sales going into the 2024 holiday season without a significant price reduction.

Both BioWare and Electronic Arts continue to stay silent as to how Dragon Age: The Veilguard is performing sales-wise (YouTuber EndymionTV reported that an anonymous source claimed that Veilguard sold 500,000 copies early in its launch). It should be noted that Steam does not provide the full picture for how well the game is performing, but it is an indicator. Especially when it shows a 22% player retention rate on Steam.

 

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