Dragon Age Dragon Age: Origins was released in 2009, Dragon Age II in 2011, and Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014. Developers keep fans waiting with each Dragon Age release, and Dragon Age 4 is no exception; fans are still waiting for many specific details about the next installment in BioWare's sprawling high fantasy saga.
Still, we do know a few things about Dragon Age 4, including the basic premise, a likely villain, and a possible title. But beyond that, the information is speculative and uncertain - perhaps due to the tumultuous development history. Here is everything we know so far about Dragon Age 4.
First things first: we have no idea when Dragon Age 4 will be released. Dragon Age has never been a "new game every X years" series, and we don't see that happening anytime soon. One solid trailer for the game we saw gave us no hint. So all we can say for sure is that the release date for Dragon Age 4 is "late 2020 or later."
If I had to bet money, I'd bet on "late," though BioWare used up a lot of resources to release "Anthem" last year, and to release an equally big game (or even bigger, if "Inquisition" is a template for that) a year after that would be a mistake for EA's resources at their disposal would be quite a feat even for a developer.
Kotaku's report suggests that BioWare has cancelled an early version of Dragon Age 4 altogether, which would push the release date further into the future.
Behind-the-scenes footage of Dragon Age 4 was shown during the gamescom Opening Night Live 2020 stream on August 27. While it doesn't provide a huge amount of new information about the game, it does provide a satisfying update on the game's development process and the people involved. You can watch it below:
The video does not mention the game's release date, story premise, or gameplay system, but it shows that BioWare definitely has big plans for the game. On the other hand, Dragon Age 4 is unlikely to launch anytime soon, so we will likely have to wait a while longer for a substantial development update.
At The Game Awards 2018 in December, BioWare showed off a very short teaser trailer for Dragon Age 4. You can see it here:
As you can see, there's not much there: just armor, magical trinkets, and the silhouette of Fen Harel, the Dread Wolf, one of the gods in the Dragon Age pantheon. There are also two lines from Solas, the traitorous mage: "I'm not sure what you're looking for, but I'm sure you're looking for something. I suppose there are questions."
But there is one interesting tidbit: the trailer ends with the hashtag #TheDreadWolfRises. This may be the title of the game, or it may be a way for BioWare to monitor the game's social media presence. (If "The Dread Wolf Rises" is indeed the title of the game, it's not a bad title.
Summarizing the entire Dragon Age saga would take more time than I have in this particular article, but here's the broad strokes. Spoilers follow, especially for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
In Dragon Age: Origins, you control an adventurer who owes allegiance to the Grey Wardens. This ancient order exists to fight the invading Darkspawn and their draconic master, the Archdemon. Left unchecked, the Archdemon can summon a plague that will exterminate all life in the high fantasy world of Thedas. By recruiting parties, forming alliances with powerful nations, and making tremendous sacrifices, the Grey Wardens will defeat the Archdemon and save the world - for now.
Dragon Age II tells a more personal story, centering on the Hawk family in the city of Kirkwall. Set before, during, and after Origins, you play as Hawk (first name: up to you). Dragon Age II's story is picaresque and goes in many different directions, but the central conflict is between the Mages, who seek freedom from an oppressive religious order, and the Templars, who see themselves as the last line of defense against a demonic uprising.
"Dragon Age: Inquisition" ties these two stories together to some extent. In order to avoid an all-out war between the Mages and the Templars, the leading figures of Thedas hold a meeting. However, a magical explosion kills everyone present, and one survivor sets out to investigate. He or she becomes an inquisitor and must build a grassroots support network across the continent toward the ultimate goal of defeating the demons who seek to manipulate both Mages and Templars for their own gain.
In Inquisition, one of the party members is Solas. Solas is an enigmatic mage who never 100% reveals why he joined the quest. After defeating the final boss, he leaves the party. (You finally reunite with Solas in the Trespasser expansion, the final downloadable content for Inquisitions. He also wants revenge against Thedas, who has turned his own race of elves into second-class citizens. [The Inquisitor realizes that Solas knows too much about the party and that he needs a new group of adventurers to take on Solas. So it seems safe to say that Dragon Age 4 will, at least in some form, have a new protagonist leading a (mostly) new group of heroes against the Dread Wolf.
Of course, knowing BioWare's propensity for twists and turns, it probably won't be that simple. But it's a good place to start, and we'll tell you more about DragonAge4 when BioWare decides to release more information.
.
Comments