Dragon Age 4 was introduced several years ago under the name Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. However, a few months before the game's fall 2024 launch, BioWare announced it was changing the name to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Prior to that announcement, Game Informer visited BioWare's Edmonton office to get an exclusive look at the game for our Dragon Age: The Veilguard cover story. That's where we found out the name has changed.
I interviewed various Wellguard heads for the cover story, and the first question I asked each of them was, “Why the name change?” Here's what each told me:
BioWare proposes to change the name to Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Wellguard Game Director Corinne Bushe“First of all, I would like to say that these games are a reflection of the teams that make them, and as part of that, that means we learn a lot about what the heart and soul of the game really is as we're developing it. And we quickly learned and realized that the real heart of this game is these authentic diverse companions. When we take a step back, as we always do, we always check our decisions and make sure they still represent the game we're trying to make. It just felt like we needed a title that reflects what this game is really about.
Now, I want to be clear: I'm a fan of Solas. [and] He plays an important role in the game, but it's not a game about Solas. So in trying to capture that authentic feel in everything we do, we felt the title really needed to change.”
John Epler, Creative Director, Wellguard: “Dragon Age has always been about characters, not just the villains, but also your team, your companions, the other characters in the world. And when we were making Dragon Age: The Veilguard — I like to give an example, which is, 'If you want to make an elephant out of marble, you just take a piece of marble and remove everything from it that doesn't look like an elephant.' When we were making the game, it became really clear that we were less trying to make The Veilguard, but that The Veilguard was taking shape as we were making the game.
Solas is still a central figure in it. He's still an important character. But really, the focus is on the team. It's about the people you recruit. It's about preventing the end of the world with this group of specialists, these incredibly interesting and diverse characters you recruit to your team. [We] “I realized that Dreadwolf suggests a title focused on a specific individual, whereas The Veilguard, like Inquisition, focuses more on the team.”
BioWare General Manager Gary MacKay: “First of all, I want to say this: Solas is still a vital part of this game. That's not to say he's been left behind at all. But when we considered what the real beating heart of this game was, we saw companions jump in front of us. I guess you could argue [these companions] This franchise has the best cast of characters ever. We have seven incredibly unique characters, each with their own personalities, motivations; they have deep stories, and you have the opportunity to really interact with these characters in a way that not only shapes their story but also impacts the main story, even having the opportunity to influence their fate.
It's not just the story; they're an integral part of the gameplay as well. And so when you really look at it from the beats of the game, the centerpiece of the game, it's about the companions – the Valguard. We felt the title needed to reflect what we thought was the centerpiece of the game.”
Mark Darrah, former Dragon Age executive producer and Wellguard consultant“I think it's absolutely the right choice. Names can carry a momentum. Sure, the game has, in a way, been called Dreadwolf to some degree since its earliest days. As the game evolved, [BioWare] Once I understood what it was, it was very mature to step back and say, ‘We named it something. Does it really still represent what the game is about?’ And I think it’s amazing for the team to be willing to take this step, and I think it’s absolutely the right decision.”
Solas in the room
When I asked about Solas' role after I learned his name is no longer in the game title, Darrah said Valgard is still taking the elven god's story in a good direction. He added, “It allows us to hopefully give a good conclusion to all the different attitudes towards Solas that are going to come from people who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, people who want to get Solas out of the building – I think we give you an opportunity to end it, but then tell a bigger story about Valgard and the whole world.”
Talking to Epler, I learned more about why Solas isn't exactly what I thought he was before watching Valgard's opening hours. There's a lot more nuance to everyone's favorite bald elf.
“The most interesting villains, to me and honestly to most people, don't just straight-up say, 'I want to end the world.' To them, they're the hero of the story, and Solas is no exception,” Epler told me. “Solas always feels like he's a tragic hero, but a hero nonetheless, so he's moving forward with a firm belief that what he did, what you stopped him from doing, was right — that you made a mistake. But now he's trapped and he can't reach out and influence others. [Thedas]That's why he needs to work with you.
“This allows us to bring a lot more nuance to that relationship,” says Eppler.
If you're wondering what Eppler meant when he said Solas is trapped, it's quite literal – in the game's prologue, which is part of a 20-minute gameplay segment recently released by BioWare (video above), player-character Rook and companions Les Harding, Varric Tethras and Neve Gallus stop Solas' attempt to destroy the Veil, a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas. I won't give away what exactly happens here, but Rook falls unconscious moments later and wakes up in a dreamlike landscape with the voice of Solas himself… because he's trapped here.
He explains that he was attempting to move Elgar'naan and Gilan'nain, who are both part of the Ivnuris or Elven pantheon of ancient times, to a new prison, as the old one was no longer able to properly hold them. Unfortunately for Solas, he's stuck here – the Fade – because of us and Elgar'naan and Gilan'nain are free, miserable, and roaming Thedas. It's up to Rook to stop them, but it looks like he'll have to work with Solas (or at least listen to his guidance and advice) to do so.
“So when we were building the story of The Veilguard, the principle we followed was that we wanted the beginning of the game to feel like the final chapter of a previous story and you're coming to the very end, you're coming like you're chasing Solas — [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC] “He said he was going to end the world and pull down the veil,” Eppler says.
Epler says players will notice early on (and as the story in Veilgard progresses) that Solas sees himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, especially “in the parts he might not want to face.” As a result, there's an interesting tug-of-war between Solas and Rook. He says players can define the relationship between these two characters with their choices in dialogue.
“You can continue to be suspicious and hostile toward him, or you can start to look at him and find that common ground, that connection, between the two of you, and really develop a different relationship over the course of the story,” says Epler.
For more information on the game, including exclusives, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button below.