BioWare has announced that post-release work on Dragon Age 2 has ceased - which means there will be no more patches or DLC for the game - and that the entire Dragon Age team has started on ”the next phase of Dragon Age’s future”, which basically means whatever Dragon Age 3 will be.
”While we will still be keeping an eye out for any issues that might crop up in DA2 and supporting the community should any emergencies should arise, we’re moving the entire team’s focus to the next phase of Dragon Age’s future.” Said Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah.
Darrah then acknowledged the rumor that Dragon Age 3 will have multiplayer, but refused to address it, stating: ”However, what I can say is that we’ve been thinking a lot about Dragon Age - what it means, and where it could go. This past year, we’ve spent a lot of time both going back to the ‘BioWare vault’ of games and re-examining them, and looking at some new possibilities that today’s industry allows.”
The BioWare vault certainly is stuffed full of classic games, including such titles as Baldur’s Gate, Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic, though each have had a style much different than Dragon Age.
As far as multiplayer, the rumor first popped up last December. According to the rumor, the multiplayer would be an arena-styled game with both PvE and PVP elements, with full man-on-dragon combat. It claimed that dragons would be playable in the multiplayer mode, and give players the chance to go fight against other players in a flying, fire-breathing dragon form.
One of the casualties of ending Dragon Age 2’s post-release development was revealed by Darrah in a later tweet. Darrah revealed, ”We did have plans for an expansion pack to DA2 but, other DA opportunities came up. There were even shirts! It was called Exalted March.”
One thing is clear, however: Dragon Age never took off as an IP in the same way that Mass Effect did. It’ll be interesting to see how BioWare breathes life into the property.