After almost ten years, Dragon Age: The Veilguard finally arrived because the long-awaited follow-up to Dragon Age: Inquisition, but ideas for the brand new game had been taking shape well before its 2018 reveal. BioWare art director Matt Rhodes recently shared early concept art on Twitter that shows just how far back the planning for the sequel began.
These seven sketches, created in 2014 before The Inquisition was even released, offered a have a look at potential story directions and highlighted BioWare’s commitment to continuing the franchise. Each sketch envisioned ways to develop unfinished storylines and take players further into the series’ intricate fantasy setting.
Rhodes explained that he began creating these initial sketches in 2014, inspired by the thrill across the Inquisition and the open possibilities it left behind. He described them as quick mock-ups to explore different narrative paths and unresolved storylines from the sooner games.
Through these early images, Rhodes captured among the big ideas that were already forming inside the team about where Dragon Age could go next, illustrating how BioWare was brainstorming ambitious ideas for its future even before the present chapter had closed.
One concept piece imagines a world in turmoil, with the Divine dispatching elite teams on a quest for answers. This image conveys the grand scale of the conflict and the thought of a shattered realm on the point of chaos.
Rhodes mentioned that the team liked the thought of including “parallel parties,” a second team of notable characters that players might encounter along the way in which. This idea added a way of depth and suggested a much larger interconnected story, as it will imply that multiple groups of heroes were working toward their very own goals on this troubled setting.
In one in all his posts, Rhodes shared ideas for a possible end-game scenario, though he avoided revealing specific details to stop spoilers. The captions accompanying his artwork gave fans insight into BioWare’s vision for expanding the series’ narrative possibilities.
Rhodes was careful to not spoil potential plot twists, yet his descriptions made it clear that BioWare was exploring various story possibilities before selecting the ultimate direction for The Veilguard, keeping the thrill around what might have been.
Moreover, Dragon Age’s former lead author David Gaider has recently mentioned that an overarching plot for the series was crafted way back, including “secret lore” and a possible conclusion to the whole storyline. He described this as a “master lore document,” which contained major plot points hidden from much of the studio’s staff.
Although few people know what this ultimate ending might appear to be, Gaider’s insights suggest that BioWare has at all times envisioned a bigger storyline with a definitive end. Fans are left to invest about where the series might ultimately head, but these details provide a way of the ambitious storytelling goals BioWare has been carrying forward since Dragon Age first began.
