Electronic Arts is feeling the heat after two of its major holiday releases fell short of expectations. The gaming giant has lowered its financial forecast because of the underwhelming performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA Sports FC 25.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest entry in BioWare’s fantasy RPG series, left a particularly bad result on EA’s balance sheet. The game attracted only about 1.5 million players, a far cry from the three million EA had hoped for. This 50% shortfall has left a significant dent in EA’s projected earnings.
Players have been vocal about their disappointment with The Veilguard. Many feel the game has strayed too far from what made the series popular. Criticism has focused on changes to gameplay and story elements that fans held dear. The dialogue, once praised for its depth, has been called out as overly simplistic and more fitting for a young adult novel than a complex RPG.
NEW: EA is slashing its forecast for the fiscal year due to the underperformance of holiday games EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. EA says the new Dragon Age reached around 1.5 million players, missing expectations by nearly 50%. www.bloomberg.com/news/article…
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) January 22, 2025 at 10:06 PM
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The game’s development wasn’t smooth sailing either. What started as a potential live-service game eventually shifted back to a single-player experience. This back-and-forth likely contributed to the game’s extended development time and possible budget overruns.
EA Sports FC 25, the company’s rebranded football franchise after parting ways with FIFA, also underperformed. While specific details are scarce, it’s clear the game didn’t score the financial goals EA had set.
These setbacks come at a time when the gaming industry is increasingly focused on live-service models and multiplayer experiences. Traditional single-player RPGs like Dragon Age face tough competition in this changing landscape.
BioWare has faced challenges in recent years. Titles like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem failed to meet expectations, putting pressure on the studio to deliver with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. In particular since previous titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition raised expectations over at EA with their great performance.
The mismatch between critic reviews and player reception for The Veilguard has been notable. While professional reviewers gave generally favorable scores, the player base has been far more critical. This disconnect highlights the growing importance of community feedback in determining a game’s success.