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Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, also known as Dragon Age 4, is the next chapter in the beloved Dragon Age BioWare fantasy series. Back in 2009, Dragon Age: Origins kicked off the series by offering an open-ended and immersive RPG that resonated with fans, a legacy that its two sequels upheld with aplomb.
Unfortunately for those who fell in love with the series, there hasn’t been a new Dragon Age title since Dragon Age Inquisition in 2014. However, a follow-up is in the works which looks to pick up where Inquisition left off, by addressing the legacy of one of the series’ most divisive characters. It turns out that Solas, a playable companion in Inquisition, is, in fact, the Dreadwolf – a ruthless elven god in disguise. What’s more, Solas was responsible for severing the world of mortals from the world of magic, shaping the entire universe in which Dragon Age takes place. As you might have guessed, it seems like Solas will take center stage in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
That said, we still don’t have many details about the game beyond a handful of preview trailers. Despite this, we at TRG have kept our ears to the ground and have discerned a few interesting tidbits about the game that you might not yet know. Read on to find out more about this much-anticipated upcoming game.
Dragon Age 4: cut to the chase
- What is it? The fourth installment in influential Dragon Age series
- When’s it coming out? TBC (Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC are likely)
- When can I play it? TBC
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf release date rumors and platforms
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is yet to receive a release date. Recently EA did not list the game in its latest financial earnings report (via Eurogamer). Many games were listed, and all are currently planned for release before April 2024. Sadly, this means that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is highly unlikely to come out before April 2024.
Platforms haven’t been officially confirmed yet. Given its release date seems to be a while off and a Gamescom 2020 clip made mention of “next-generation technology”, it’s likely that Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf will skip PS4 and Xbox One, coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC instead.
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf trailers
Back in December 2022 BioWare released an in-game cinematic from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. In the trailer, we hear fan-favorite bard Varric Tethras give his account of the story of the Dread Wolf, or, to use the name of his mortal form: Solas. Over the course of his tale, Varric tells us how Solas separated the Fade (the realm of magic) from reality by creating a Veil between the two.
Unfortunately, it looks like Solas has ideas about tearing down the Veil, destroying the world, and ushering in an apocalypse. On top of that, it looks like “we’re the only ones who can stop him.” No pressure.
The two other Dragon Age: Dreadwolf trailers can be found on the official Dragon Age YouTube channel. These include the teaser trailer from the 2018 Game Awards as well as the second teaser featured during the 2020 Game Awards.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf story and setting
BioWare hasn’t confirmed the exact storyline for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf just yet, but the title and the game’s trailer make one thing clear: Solas is going to be involved in a big way. This time, it looks as though he’ll be the main antagonist. We put together a guide on exactly who Solas is for those keen on digging into the details, but, suffice it to say, he’s a murky character who made a strong impression in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
BioWare’s description of him paints an interesting picture. “Solas, the Dread Wolf. Some say he might be an ancient elven god, but some say not. Others say a betrayer of his people…or a savior who now seeks to rescue them at the cost of your world. His motives are inscrutable and his methods sometimes questionable, earning him a reputation as something of a trickster deity – a player of dark and dangerous games.”
The return of Solas as well as characters like Varric, the witty Dwarven bard from Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition, certainly suggests that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s story will pick up not too long after Dragon Age: Inquisition. However, like all the previous games in the series, it looks like players will step into a brand new protagonist’s shoes with the official website stating: “Thedas needs a new hero; one they’ll never see coming.”
New heroes and fresh starts make sequels accessible and we also know that playing Dragon Age: Inquisition isn’t going to be a prerequisite for getting stuck into Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. BioWare has confirmed that “if you’re new to Dragon Age, you have no need to worry about not having met our antagonist just yet. He’ll properly introduce himself when the time is right”.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf gameplay
Not much is yet known about what we can expect from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf‘s game mechanics. However, a BioWare community update back in February 2023 gave us an indication as to what we can expect from character progression and customization.
The post outlines plans for a non-linear skill tree, allowing players to customize their character class. Luke Barrett, a systems design director on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf outlined a complex skill tree full of “many unique nodes”, all of which “grow the character in multiple ways, not just stats.”
Elaborating further, Barrett stated: “We really wanted to have something that allowed the player to character-build in a way that allowed them to reach their “player fantasy.” And because we’re supporting so many choices, we’ve designed something that can be customized widely, as opposed to a more linear progression system.”
Though we don’t have much by way of specifics, this approach contrasts with the more linear offerings in previous Dragon Age titles, where players were forced to specialize in specific classes or subclasses.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf news
13 unionized Dragon Age: Dreadwolf QA testers laid off
As reported in October 2023, 13 quality assurance (QA) testers were laid off at Bioware. The employees were offered “minimal severance”. This followed an earlier wave of BioWare layoffs back in August where 50 staff members were made redundant to “meet the needs of upcoming projects.”
Mass-Effect devs join the team
As reported by GameBeat, several Mass Effect developers joined the development team working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to help the game cross the finish line. Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah also joined to serve as a consultant.
Alpha milestone reached
In the latest Dragon Age 4 blog update, published in October 2022, GM Gary McKay revealed the game has reached its Alpha Milestone, meaning it is now playable from start to finish. But the game “is not finished by any means”, and the studio is now focused on polishing narrative and gameplay features.
“First and foremost, we can now turn our sights toward bringing the visual fidelity to its final form and iterating on gameplay features,” McKay wrote in the blog. “The big question now is, “Where do we focus our efforts?” To answer that, we solicit feedback from a number of sources, including our Community Council members who each have unique perspectives and experiences, our quality verification team, and extensive internal playtesting. Gathering feedback from multiple sources gives us the greatest insight on where we need to spend more time improving the experience.
“Additionally, we can now evaluate the game’s pacing, how relationships evolve over time, and the player’s progression, as well as narrative cohesion – essentially how the story comes together. We can take the story we’ve written and see if we’re expressing it well through the characters, dialogue, cinematics, and ultimately, the player’s journey. Now that we have the ability to do a complete playthrough, we can iterate and polish on the things that matter most to our fans.”
That’s everything we know about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf so far. For more on the latest video game releases, be sure to check out our look at the new PS5 games coming out later this year, and beyond. However, if you want more Dragon Age-like experiences, our list of the best RPGs has you covered.
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