(Update: Content creator SmashJT has corrected the sales figures for Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the article has been updated to reflect the correction)
It’s been over a month since Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released with both BioWare and Electronic Arts staying quiet as to how many copies the game has sold. Veilguard’s sales performance and reception has been speculated to be poor, despite mainstream media’s saying that it is a “return to form” for Bioware, based on player counts and estimated sales data on the Steam platform. According to an anonymous source speaking to YouTuber SmashJT, they revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard has sold under 1.5 million total copies, that layoffs at BioWare might be incoming, and an internal culture war is being waged behind doors.
According to SmashJT, the anonymous source disclosed an exact figure but, to protect their identity, the content creator relayed that under 1.5 million copies of Veilguard have been sold (corrected by a second BioWare employee from 3 million). Unfortunately, there was no breakdown of how many copies were sold on which platforms or if the milestone was reached shortly after launch or over its first month. What isn’t surprising, and that we speculated, is the source goes on to say that this figure falls well below EA and BioWare’s goal.
The sales target that EA had for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, according to the same source, was 10 million copies within the first three months. Considering that Veilguard was in development for around nine years, the number of copies expected is not surprising though the three month time window is. Which means that 1.5 million copies sold within a month results in Veilguard falling well below expectations for EA and BioWare.
Even if the Veilguard had sold the originally erroneous claim of 3 million copies in one month, it would still have not met sales expectations. That 3 million figure is, allegedly, is the “total expected lifetime sales” number (we assume this figure is based on the corrected sales figure). With the revelation that Veilguard’s total copies sold so far is under 1.5 million, the figure falls more in line with the data seen via Steam charts. Which means that this is an exceptionally low figure for a triple-A title from an established brand, well known developer, and powerhouse publisher.
With Dragon Age: The Veilguard allegedly falling well below the company’s sales goal, the source goes on to say that, “There’s rumors around the office that layoffs are on the horizon.” Considering that Veilguard is the third title in a row for BioWare failing to meet expectations, following Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem, such concerns are not surprising.
This revelation also means that the focus and expectations for the next Mass Effect game will be even greater. Which was immediately apparent as, after Veilguard’s release, it was announced that there would be no DLC for the game and the team shifted to help finish Mass Effect 5.
While Veilguard’s performance is bad news for BioWare, the insider went on to say that this has resulted in “extreme changes” occurring for the next Mass Effect game in the wake of the action-adventure RPG’s issues.
Finally, ShashJT went on to point out that the insider claims there is an internal cultural struggle occurring at BioWare which has fostered an environment where some employees are afraid to speak their minds. If you would like to know more about the company’s internal conflicts, we encourage you to read the entire article over at SmashJT.com.
Author’s Note: Support this site by donating via Paypal or even checking out our merchandise on RedBubble where you can find designs that cater to writers and readers. Money donated and
raised goes into paying for this website and equipment.
Interested in posting this article, or another article, on your website? Check out our prices to make that happen – https://tinyurl.com/mrxa56pp
