Dragon Age and Mass Effect are no doubt two of EA's most popular franchises, certainly its most popular RPGs. The publisher is lining up its next EA Play Live stream for July 22, and on the surface, it stands to reason that the next games in those franchises should be front and center. But they probably won't be, and unfortunately, there's a good explanation as to why.
A fourth Dragon Age has been in development for some time, hampered recently - like many triple-A games - by the COVID-19 pandemic. The title is currently scheduled for 2022 or later, but a few plot details are already known, including the prominence of the Grey Wardens and the Tevinter Imperium. Much less is public about Mass Effect 4, except that it will connect with the original trilogy and feature Liari T'soni. It will also probably borrow design cues from Andromeda while trying to solve that title's more glaring problems.
Developer BioWare confirmed that Dragon Age and Mass Effect will be be absent from EA Play Live in a recent Twitter post. The studio didn't elaborate on the situation except to say it's "hard at work" on coming sequels, while simultaneously preparing more Star Wars: The Old Republic content for 2021. More than likely, the reason its two single-player RPGs will be missing is that there's not much to show - Mass Effect's first teaser was released in December 2020, so it could easily be years away from completion. Dragon Age 4, meanwhile, has technically been underway since 2015, but suffered interruptions, staff departures, and two reboots, the most recent to strip out any Anthem-style multiplayer. It may still be further along than its sci-fi sibling - but that wouldn't be saying much.
Showing Games Too Early Could Be Risky For EA
Diehard fans are often eager to see as much of a game as possible, yet from the perspective of companies like EA and BioWare, that can be risky. Oversaturation can reduce the impact of marketing or show a game in an ugly state, potentially scaring buyers away. This is why the earliest videos are typically cinematic teasers, and why developers prepare "slices" of games for shows like E3. Games are often broken and unpolished until their final weeks - and in the case of titles like Mass Effect Legendary Edition, later still.
Even without Dragon Age and Mass Effect, EA Play Live should still have enough to keep gamers' attention. The company is diving into Battlefield 2042's mystery mode, and should appease sports fans with annual updates, possibly even the long-awaited return of Fight Night boxing. More items on the slate could include The Sims 5 or Skate 4, though only the latter is officially in development.
Source: BioWare