Dragon Age star Alix Wilton Regan has shared her heartfelt response to the backlash against last year's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, attributing the "mixed reactions" to individuals who "wanted to see the game fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail."
The actor, who portrays the Female Inquisitor in both Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, expressed to IGN her deep disappointment over BioWare's latest game not resonating with a broader audience, despite receiving largely positive reviews from critics.
In a recent interview discussing her notable video game roles, including her part in Microsoft's upcoming Perfect Dark reboot, Wilton Regan fondly reflected on her time as BioWare's Inquisitor, though she expressed doubts about reprising the role.
"I feel absolutely devastated for BioWare as a studio that they got such mixed reactions to the game," Wilton Regan remarked about the response to The Veilguard. "I personally thought it was a really strong game. I thought it was just BioWare being more BioWare.
"I also think a lot of people kind of wanted to see it fail, or wanted to see [BioWare] fail, either because they're just really bad people on the internet — of which there are unfortunately many, as we have discovered."
Upon its release, The Veilguard faced significant online review bombing, with criticism focusing on the game's "woke" elements, particularly the inclusion of a non-binary companion character and the option for players to choose a transgender protagonist. On Steam, Dragon Age: The Veilguard now holds a 'Mixed' user rating, with community tags like "LGBTQ+" and "politics."
"People were attacking the game before it was even released," Wilton Regan added. "It's ridiculous. How can you judge a game, a book, a film, a TV show before it's actually released? You can't. It's an idiotic stance to take."
In January, publisher EA disclosed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard had underperformed by approximately 50% compared to their expectations, shortly after the game's director, Corrine Busche, announced her departure from the company. Additionally, several BioWare staff members who contributed to the game were laid off.
That same month, BioWare announced the final update for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with no further content planned or anticipated.
"I only ever want to see the folks from BioWare thrive, because I adore them," Wilton Regan concluded. "And whatever they go on to do next, I have no doubt their talents will be richly rewarded. We're really lucky we'll get more gold from them in the future."
Currently, a streamlined BioWare team is focused on developing Mass Effect 5, which does not yet have a confirmed release date.
