Founded all the way back in the mid-1990s,BioWareis still one of the most popular western RPG developers around, even if its recent history hasn’t been quite as decorated as its past. After proving itself withBaldur’s Gate, BioWare was acquired by EA in the early 2000s, where it went on to create some of the greatest western RPGs of all time, includingDragon Age,Mass Effect, andStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Unfortunately, BioWare’s recent releases, namelyMass Effect: AndromedaandAnthem, haven’t been all that great, and fans are hoping that the developer’s upcoming projects are a little more in line with their past works.
BioWare has a pretty full slate right now, with both a newDragon Ageand a newMass Effecton the way, both of which are fully-fledged mainline entries in their respective franchises. Along with that,BioWareis also still updatingStar Wars: The Old Republic, which is about to hit its 12th anniversary. Though these titles may not release in 2023, fans are holding out hope that they’ll at least see more from these upcoming BioWare games by the end of the year.
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Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Could Release in 2023
A fourthDragon Agegame has been in the works for quite some time. Originally codenamed “Joplin,” this 2015 version ofDragon Age 4was delayed significantly when the majority of its development team was forced to help getMass Effect Andromedaout the door, and eventually canceled allegedly due to its lack of live-service elements to provide ongoing monetization.Dragon Age 4was then restarted in 2018, and the success ofsingle-player titles likeStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderconvinced EA to let BioWare leave out the game’s planned multiplayer components.
Despite a shocking number of lead developers leaving the project over the last few years,Dragon Age 4is still progressing in development, and last year it got the official title ofDragon Age: Dreadwolf.BioWare also revealed that the game was now playable from start to finish, and that it wasofficially in its Alpha stage. While this led to a lot of speculation among fans, it’s impossible to discern just how longDreadwolfcould be in this Alpha stage for, and a release date still hasn’t been set.
According to the latest rumors,Dragon Age: Dreadwolfcould potentially release in late 2023, likely during the Fall, though it might be more likely for it to appear in 2024. While a 2024 release date would give BioWare even more time to ensure that game is polished, it would also help to fill out EA’s slate for next year, withStar Wars Jedi: Survivoralready being its tent pole release this year. Regardless, fans should stillsee more fromDragon Age: Dreadwolfin 2023.
BioWare Could Show More of Mass Effect in 2023
At the 2020 Game Awards, fans got their first look at a brand newMass Effectgame, along with the confirmation that it was in fact a direct sequel to the events of the original trilogy, as opposed toanAndromeda-like spinoff. Aside from that trailer, a poster, and a few leaked concept art images, not a lot else has been revealed about the nextMass Effectgame, and that’s because it’s still in pretty early development. According to BioWare’s Gary McKay, the nextMass Effectonly began its prototyping phase in February 2022, meaning that the game has only been in real development for about a year, and therefore suggesting that it’s still quite a ways out. Still, fans could see another cinematic trailer at some point in 2023, possibly teasing more story and setting details.
More Star Wars: The Old Republic Content Seems Unlikely for 2023
Star Wars: The Old Republicis about to hit its 12th birthday, and it’s certainly starting to show its age. While BioWare has been fairly good aboutupdatingThe Old Republicon a semi-regular basis, support has definitely slowed down, with the last expansion coming a year ago. What’s worse is thatBioWarehasn’t given any form of roadmap forStar Wars: The Old Republicin 2023, with fans having no idea if they’ll see any new content at all this year. WhileThe Old Republicis sure to receive content updates of some kind, fans shouldn’t expect to see any major, or even minor, expansions in 2023.
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