Dragon Age Star 'Devastated' by Backlash, Claims BioWare Critics Wanted Failure

Dragon Age star Alix Wilton Regan has shared her personal reaction to the backlash surrounding last year's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, attributing the "mixed reactions" to individuals who "wanted to see the game fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail."

Wilton Regan, who portrays the Female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, expressed to IGN her deep disappointment over BioWare's latest game failing to attract a broader audience, despite receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.

In a recent interview discussing her notable video game roles, including her part in Microsoft's upcoming Perfect Dark reboot, Wilton Regan reflected fondly on her time as BioWare's Inquisitor, though she doubts the character will return.

"I feel absolutely devastated for BioWare as a studio that they got such mixed reactions to the game," Wilton Regan remarked about the response to The Veilguard. "I personally thought it was a really strong game. I thought it was just BioWare being more BioWare.

"I also think a lot of people kind of wanted to see it fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail, either because they're just really bad people on the internet — of which there are unfortunately many, as we have discovered."

Upon its release, The Veilguard faced significant review bombing online. The criticism, often labeling the game as "woke," focused on the inclusion of a non-binary companion character and the option for players to choose a transgender protagonist. On Steam, Dragon Age: The Veilguard now holds a 'Mixed' user response, with user-defined tags like "LGBTQ+" and "politics."

"People were attacking the game before it was released," Wilton Regan added. "It's ridiculous. How can you judge a game, a book, a film, a TV show before it's actually released? You can't. It's an idiotic stance to take."

In January, publisher EA reported that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had "underperformed" by approximately 50% compared to expectations, shortly after the game's director, Corrine Busche, announced her departure from the company. Additionally, other BioWare staff involved with the game were laid off.

That same month, BioWare indicated that it had released its final update for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with no further content planned.

"I only ever want to see the folks from BioWare thrive, because I adore them," Wilton Regan concluded. "And whatever they go on to do next I have no doubt their talents will be richly rewarded. We're really lucky we'll get more gold from them in the future."

A smaller BioWare team is now focusing on Mass Effect 5, which does not yet have a release date.