Dragon Age: The Veilguard Release Date Window, Characters, Gameplay, And More

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the latest addition to BioWare’s iconic fantasy RPG franchise and is slated for release in 2024. The upcoming game is the fourth entry in the Dragon Age game series, and picks up where its predecessor–2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition–left off.

First revealed in 2020 (after being teased during 2018’s The Game Awards), the game was initially referred to as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but had its title changed a few days before BioWare released the game’s official cinematic trailer and a 20-minute gameplay reveal in June 2024. Though there are still plenty of questions surrounding the highly anticipated RPG, the release of both trailers suggests that, as the game’s Fall 2024 release date approaches, BioWare is finally ready to pull back the veil on The Veilguard and show players what kind of experience they can expect when the game launches. Interested in learning more about your next adventure in Thedas? Here’s everything we know about Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

When is Dragon Age: The Veilguard coming out?

Although BioWare has yet to provide a specific launch date, recent trailers have confirmed that The Veilguard’s release date is planned for sometime in Fall 2024.

What platforms will The Veilguard launch on?

EA has confirmed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Few details regarding the specs required to run the game on PC have been released, but the game’s Steam store page indicates that a 64-bit processor and operating system will be required for the PC version of the game.

Why was Dreadwolf renamed The Veilguard?

The first glimpse players got of the game referred to it by the title Dragon Age: Dreadwolf–a reference to one of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s companion characters, an elf named Solas. Near the end of Inquisition, it is revealed that Solas is actually an ancient god named Fen’Harel, a name which translates to “Dread Wolf” or “The Wolf To Be Feared” in Elvish.

But upon the release of the official cinematic trailer, it was revealed that the game has been renamed to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The Veilguard executive producer and BioWare general manager Gary McKay clarified the reason behind the name change in a blog post on the developer’s official website. Ultimately, the game’s name was changed to shift focus onto the game’s main group of protagonists–which include the player-character and seven NPC companions–rather than its antagonist.

“Naturally, the Dread Wolf still has an important part in this tale, but you and your companions–not your enemies–are the heart of this new experience,” McKay explained.

“So, to capture what this game is all about, we changed the name as the original title didn’t show just how strongly we feel about our new heroes, their stories, and how you’ll need to bring them together to save all of Thedas.”

Where does Dragon Age: The Veilguard take place?

The Veilguard is set in Tevinter (also called the Tevinter Imperium). Tevinter is the oldest existing human-inhabited country in all of Thedas. Culturally, Tevinter places a great deal of emphasis on magic, and mages are treated with respect. Unfortunately, the nation also has a long history of slavery–specifically the enslavement of elves. For this reason, Tevinter is often regarded with ire by those who live outside its borders.

Taking place in the nation’s capital city, Minrathous, the game’s cinematic trailer and gameplay reveal gave players their first good look at Tevinter. Unfortunately, the city has descended into chaos as a result of Solas’ attempt to tear down the Veil, which serves as a barrier between the mortal world and the Fade, a place where spirits, demons, and other mysterious magical beings reside.

What is Dragon Age: The Veilguard about?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard focuses on the aftermath of the events that take place in Dragon Age: Inquisition–namely Solas’ quest to tear open the Veil, which he himself created. The Veil is all that separates the world of the living from the magical world of spirits, demons, and other dangerous creatures. In the gameplay trailer, we see the player-character and their companions doing their best to prevent Solas from destroying the Veil. This is no small task, as Solas is a god with immense power. The gameplay trailer sees Varric (a dwarf and former member of the Inquisition) doing his best to convince Solas to abandon his plot, as the entirety of Thedas will be effectively doomed should Solas succeed. Even with the ritual not yet complete, demons are already slipping through the Veil and terrorizing Minrathous’ citizens.

Varric and Solas worked together in the Inquisition, and although Solas doesn’t seem particularly happy to have Varric interrupt his Veil-shredding ritual for a last-minute chat, he still shows the dwarf mercy. In the blink of an eye, Solas destroys Varric’s crossbow with a blast of powerful magic, but this act doesn’t even come close to displaying how dangerous Solas truly is. The Dread Wolf has killed fellow gods, sealed others away for eternity, and even possesses the ability to petrify the bodies of his foes with a single thought.

It’s not immediately clear why Solas has chosen Tevinter as the site for his ritual, though it could have something to do with the nation’s history of elf-enslavement. But one thing is certain: Taking him down will be no easy task.

Who is Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s player-character?

Instead of playing as the Inquisitor–a stereotypical “chosen one” similar to the Dragonborn in Skyrim–The Veilguard will see players take on the role of a relative nobody. Though little is known about the player-character, we do know they can be customized in a number of ways.

Similar to the way Baldur’s Gate 3‘s player-character is often referred to as Tav (despite players being allowed to give their character any name they wish), BioWare has nicknamed The Veilguard’s player-character Rook, but players can name the character whatever they wish. Players can also customize Rook’s appearance in a number of ways and can change their looks any time after leaving character creation.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard character creation

When creating their own custom Rook, players can pick the character’s race, gender, class, specialization, and faction, in addition to choosing one of four voices–two feminine, two masculine–for Rook to use during cutscenes and when commenting verbally during gameplay. Just like Inquisition, The Veilguard allows the player to choose between four races (human, elf, dwarf, or Qunari) and three classes (mage, rogue, or warrior). Each class has its own skill tree, along with three unique specializations for the character to choose from. No information is currently available regarding mage-exclusive specializations, but we do know which options are available to rogues and warriors (via Eurogamer):

Rogue specializations

• Duelist: Focuses on movement, like dodging and parrying attacks
• Saboteur: Focuses on setting traps for enemies
• Veil Ranger: Focuses on long-range combat

Warrior specializations

• Champion: Allows the player to use a shield to avoid damage dealt by enemies
• Reaper: Allows the player to siphon health from enemies
• Slayer: Allows the player to use the largest weapons in the game, increasing damage output

Factions

During character creation, players must choose from one of the following factions:

• Antivan Crows: A group of sneaky, merciless assassins with a reputation for protecting Antiva whilst hiding in the shadows, unseen.
• Grey Wardens: An old order of individuals who have sworn to protect the realm from darkspawn and other undesirables. Grey Wardens are known for undergoing a secret darkspawn blood-drinking ritual called The Joining. Those who attempt The Joining will experience one of two possible outcomes: the acquisition of powerful supernatural abilities, or an excruciating death.
• Lords of Fortune: A group of explorers and treasure-hunters who hail from Rivain. Lords of Fortune are known for both taking on risky missions and executing daring escapes.
• Mourn Watch: An order of necromancers who are responsible for the upkeep and protection of Nevarra’s enormous Grand Necropolis–a place inhabited by undead, spirits, and other creatures that walk a fine line between life and death.
• Shadow Dragons: A group of rebels who fight against corruption and slavery. Shadow Dragons are effectively Tevinter’s version of Robin Hood, working to improve conditions and ensure fairness for all.
• Veil Jumpers: A group of adventurers known for locating and exploring elven ruins, mainly based in Arlathan.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard combat

The 20-minute gameplay preview recently released by BioWare features a Rook who has chosen the rogue class and is a member of the Shadow Dragons faction. BioWare has confirmed that The Veilguard will not allow players to control their companions in combat the same way they did in Inquisition, which saw players jumping between different characters mid-combat, controlling each of them in a manner similar to the way players can control companions in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Instead, the newly added ability wheel allows players to issue commands and prepare companion attacks while still controlling Rook. More options are added to the ability wheel as players progress through the game.

As for the player-character, Rook can attack in real-time or pull up their own ability wheel, pausing time while selecting an ability to use. Unlike Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Veilguard doesn’t seem to provide a way to move the camera around the 3D environment while combat is paused, and it appears that enemies need to be within the player-character’s line of sight to hit them with an attack via the ability wheel.

Which characters are available as companions in The Veilguard?

There are seven companion characters in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but only two companions can join the player’s party at a time, down from the three-companion party players had access to in Inquisition. Despite being seen joining and fighting alongside Rook in the 20-minute gameplay trailer, it seems that Varric isn’t a permanent, romanceable companion in The Veilguard. More details about each companion can be found below:

• Bellara: Bellara is an elven mage and part of the Veil Jumpers faction, making her an ideal companion for missions that see the party coming into close contact with creatures from beyond the veil.
• Davrin: Davrin is an elven warrior, and a member of the Grey Wardens. Davrin is a monster-hunter with a bold and charming personality.
• Emmrich Volkarin: Emmrich is a mage–specifically, a necromancer–and a member of the Mourn Watch faction. He is accompanied by his skeletal assistant, Manfred.
• Lace Harding: Lace–frequently referred to by her last name–first appeared in Dragon Age: Inquisition as a dwarven scout for the Inquisition. She’s classified as a rogue in The Veilguard and is skilled with a bow, but also possesses “unexpected magical powers.”
• Lucanis Dellamorte: Lucanis is a rogue, described as “a poised & pragmatic assassin” who descends from the renowned criminal organization known as the House of Crows.
• Neve Gallus: A cynical, human mage-turned-detective, Neve hails from Minrathous and is a dedicated member of Tevinter’s rebel faction, the Shadow Dragons.
• Taash: Taash is a dragon-hunting Qunari who is allied with the Lords of Fortune faction. She loves adventure, and isn’t afraid to take risks to get the job done.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard romance and decision-making

Unlike Dragon Age: Inquisition, which featured companions with their own specific likes, dislikes, and sexual orientations, all seven companion characters in The Veilguard are effectively pansexual. They will engage in a romance with the player-character, provided the player-character manages to successfully woo them through dialogue options and specific choices.

Speaking of the player’s words and actions, The Veilguard features a new feature when the player is faced with a decision: useful context. As seen in the gameplay trailer, Rook is eventually forced to choose one companion to join him and help him knock over a massive statue, while the other companion stays behind and keeps the demons–who are spilling into the material world as the Veil weakens–at bay.

A decision-making menu then appears on the screen, forcing Rook to choose between taking Neve with him and leaving Harding behind, or vice versa. Interestingly, when he hovers over the choice to bring Harding with him, some text pops up that reads, “Harding will follow you into greater danger.” The same text appears when hovering over the option to select Neve. This suggests that companions can be put in serious danger (and perhaps even prematurely killed) as a direct result of the player’s choices, even in seemingly low-stakes situations like knocking over a statue.

Lastly, it’ll be important to remember that, just like in Inquisition, if you dilly-dally for too long, your companion-of-choice may start romancing another NPC member of The Veilguard, so players will want to make sure they’ve made their move before they’re out of time. That said, the game’s developers have stressed that the bonds the player forms with each companion are a pivotal part of the game that they intended to be rewarding for every player, even if they don’t choose to romance anyone.

When can I preorder Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

No information on preordering Dragon Age: The Veilguard is currently available, though it can currently be wishlisted on Steam. The retail price for the game has not yet been announced.

Watch the Dragon Age: The Veilguard trailers here

Thedas Calls

This trailer gave players one of their first tastes of the game back when it was still going by Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and revealed the setting of the upcoming game would be the never-before-seen realm of Tevinter.

Dragon Age Day trailer

Released in 2023, this trailer features Varric telling the story of Solas’ life as Fen’Harel, the Dread Wolf–and explains why the god who created the Veil is currently trying to tear it down.

Cinematic trailer

Unveiled at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, this trailer gave fans a look at The Veilguard’s new art style and revealed the seven romanceable companions that will join players on their journey to save Thedas.

Gameplay reveal

This 20-minute trailer shows extended in-game footage from one of the first missions in the game, giving players a look at combat, companions, decision-making, and one very unhappy elven god.