Dragon Age 4: What we know so far about the Bioware role-playing game

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The successor to Inquisition is currently in development. We collect all the information on story, setting and release.

For six years, Dragon Age fans have been eagerly awaiting a sequel to the legendary role-playing game series. And by all appearances we’ll have to wait a while longer, Bioware announced that there is no show planned for Dragon Age 4 in 2021 – the developer studio won’t be showing anything at the next EA Play either.

To keep you up to date, we summarise in this article what we know about the setting, the story, the release and more. We will update the news constantly, so you will always find all the information about the new Bioware role-playing game here.

Here you can jump directly to the paragraphs that interest you:

  • What’s the name of the new Dragon Age?
  • Are there trailers yet?
  • What is the setting of Dragon Age 4?
  • What is the story about?
  • What does concept art reveal already?
  • What do the short stories reveal?
  • Who is developing Dragon Age 4?
  • What is known about the gameplay of Dragon Age 4?
  • When will Dragon Age 4 be released?
  • For which platforms will Dragon Age 4 be released?
  • What is already known about Dragon Age 4?
  • What is the name of the new Dragon Age?

The official title is not yet known, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll call it Dragon Age 4. The first teaser was released under the tag “The Dread Wolf Rises”, so there could be a connection to the new name. After all, the predecessor was not called Dragon Age 3, but Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Are there already trailers for Dragon Age 4?

The first proper trailer for Dragon Age 4 was shown at the 2020 Game Awards, and it featured old acquaintances: Varric is once again the narrator, Solas appears at the end and scowls into the camera. We also learn that we will again embody a new hero. However, we have not yet seen any game scenes.

At gamescom 2020, Bioware allowed a look behind the scenes. Little is revealed in the video, but you can at least see some artwork and the development team behind Dragon Age 4:

2018, the next Dragon Age was first announced with a short teaser, though no gameplay scenes appear. You can see the video here:

There are no other official videos for the role-playing game yet. We will of course add new trailers here when they are released.

What is the setting of Dragon Age 4?

It goes to the empire of Tevinter for the first time. In this realm the mages are in power, dark arts like blood magic are not as disreputable as in the rest of the world. For a long time Tevinter only appeared in Dragon Age lore as a mysterious antagonist, in the sequel to Inquisition we finally visit the land ourselves.

The confirmation was made by the official 25th anniversary book of the developer studio Bioware. Eurogamer’s Tom Phillips shared a picture of his copy on Twitter, which features a short text about Dragon Age 4.

Finally picked up the BioWare book and hey, I think this is the first “official” confirmation that Dragon Age 4 is set in Tevinter (I know, we were all thinking that anyway)

It’s possible there will be other locations, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

What is the story of Dragon Age 4 about?

Lead Writer Patrick Weekes revealed that the story revolves around the questions, “What happens when you have no power? And what if the people who are in charge refuse to address problems?”. What lies behind these rather cryptic clues is hard to say. At least the following key points are already known:

New hero and old acquaintances: As the Game Awards trailer revealed, we are playing a completely new character again this time, so the Inquisitor is not coming back, at least not as the main character. Apparently, this time we are a real nobody, not a chosen one by fate. But we certainly don’t have to do without old faces – if Varric’s statements are to be believed, then he will probably be there again as a companion. Perhaps other companions from earlier parts will reappear? Because of the announced Tevinter setting, for example, the mage Dorian would be a good choice.

Dragon Age 4 continues the story of Inquisition and we meet a familiar adversary. Of course, you will know who is behind the “dire wolf” when you have played through Inquisition

In teasers, red lyrium also appeared What’s that all about again? Lyrium is a crystalline, magical substance that mages and templars use to strengthen their special abilities. It is not harmless stuff, however, but can have dangerous side effects. In the case of red lyrium, they are particularly severe: it gives the user great power, but corrupts his mind.

Red lyrium erupts from the ground - a pretty bad sign.
Red lyrium erupts from the ground – a pretty bad sign.

What does concept art reveal now?

Producer Christian Dailey shares official artwork on Twitter: he apologises to fans who have been waiting a long time for real news about the game. Although they have nothing to show at EA Play 2021, the team is making great progress. More will be shared when the time is right.

As a small consolation, there was another concept artwork showing more of Tevinter. It features (Crows of Antiva), a powerful spy organisation that has only been mentioned in passing in the games so far.

They are clearly recognisable by their sleek black armour, beaked helmets and crest at the bottom right of the image. You can read more about the faction in the next paragraph (What do the short stories reveal?). The city in the background should be Minrathous, the capital of the decadent empire.

In another painting by Dailey, a figure in unusual clothing is balancing on a large, floating rock and carrying a very fancy (magical?) bow. The background shows a scene that seems to defy gravity: rocks float around in front of the cliffs that decorate the background. While Dragon Age is, of course, a fantasy role-playing series, the game world has mostly looked more grounded than what is shown here.

The (Grey Wardens) are apparently resurfacing, which could be an indication of a Dark Brood threat. But perhaps the beleaguered order is also pursuing political goals this time, as you made an important decision on this in Inquisition. Another artwork by Executive Producer Christian Dailey shows a Warden in full battle gear:

A few more tidbits of story info are already hiding in the four short stories released on Dragon Age Day 2020

What do the official short stories reveal?

On December 4, 2020, Dragon Age Day, publisher EA released four (very) short stories along with matching artwork. If you want to read them yourself, we have linked the (official website) here. We summarise the most important things:

  • The sinister (Imperium of Tevinter) plays a central role, this time you visit it yourself for the first time. The Venatori, a power-hungry group you already tangled with in Inquisition, make another appearance.
    • (Grey Wardens) still exist. They were especially important in Dragon Age: Origins. However, the order has since lost a lot of power and prestige.
    • (Old Magic) causes unexplained phenomena in Thedas.

    In the stories, characters appear who have only been mentioned in passing: Tarquin, who narrowly survived an attack by the Dark Brood and was only mentioned in a code entry in Inquisition. Andarateia Cantori, a leader of the “Crows of Antiva”, notorious for her assassins, thieves and spies. The master assassin Illario, also a member of the Crows and a character in the official novel “Tevinter Nights”.

    Who are the Crows of Antiva? Also known as the House of Crows, an organisation of assassins and spies that was once part of the Church. They are not afraid to use hidden knives and insidious poisons, but still follow a strict code of honour: agreements must be kept at all costs.

    The most famous crow is probably Zevran from Origins. In Inquisition, you may have encountered a member who had it in for Josephine. So far, we have only met a few members and have never had direct contact with the organisation, although it is one of the most powerful players in the struggle for power in Thedas.

    That we will also meet these characters in the game is becoming more and more likely, after all, crows are seen on official concept art. The mysterious faction will probably play an important role this time – whether as an enemy or an ally remains to be seen.

    Who is developing Dragon Age 4?

    Publisher Electronic Arts and developer studio Bioware, who were also responsible for the three predecessors, are once again behind the development. However, the team has changed a lot in the meantime after many veterans left Bioware. Most recently, General Manager Casey Hudson and Creative Director Mark Darrah also announced their departure.

    What is known about the gameplay of Dragon Age 4?

    Originally, Dragon Age 4 was supposed to have a strong focus on live service and multiplayer elements. But after the end of Anthem 2.0, publisher EA rowed back and announced that the next part of the series will again be a pure single-player experience.

    Whether it will be based more on the classic role-playing game Origins or the more action-packed Inquisition is not yet known.

    Apparently, the three classic roles are returning:

    • Warrior
    • Rascal
    • Mage

    Fittingly, official artwork has already been released, which also immediately shows the style of Dragon Age 4:

    When will Dragon Age 4 be released?

    So far (no official release date) is known. According to EA, the next Dragon Age will not be released before the second quarter of 2022. The development could also be delayed by the Corona restrictions, so we think a release in 2023 is realistic.

    For which platforms will Dragon Age 4 be released?

    An official announcement on which platforms you can play Dragon Age 4 is still pending. However, there are clear indications that a release on PC, PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox Series X is to be expected. Xbox One and PS4 are not expected to get a version. This emerges from a LinkedIn description of the lead designer and was also confirmed by the well-informed website (VentureBeat) via an unnamed source.

    This should make it the first major Bioware role-playing game to rely entirely on the more powerful current-gen consoles. And of course, this raises hopes for new graphic and gameplay benchmarks.

    Since the next Dragon Age will again be published by EA, it will most likely also be released on EA Play Pro, the game subscription that used to be called Origin Access. Since EA’s games have long since found their way back to Steam, a release there is also to be expected.