BioWare unveiled the first trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard during the Xbox Showcase on Sunday, seemingly confirming the return of at least a few familiar faces but delaying a formal release date for now.
The light-hearted trailer, which lasts just under two minutes, introduces several characters that players can expect to journey with in BioWare’s new RPG. Among them is Benara the Veil Jumper, who jumps out of a portal and is then dragged back in; Davrin the warden, Emmrich the necromancer, Neve the detective, Lucanis the magician assassin and Taash the dragon hunter.
We’re finally ready to reveal our most compelling companions yet #Dragon Age! Meet the #Veilguard 💜
FULL TRAILER HERE: https://t.co/CKwzSaNTI9 pic.twitter.com/fXpAOl3o9L
— Age of Dragons (@dragonage) June 9, 2024
BioWare previously confirmed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be centered around seven companions, prompting the name change from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. All companions appear to be revealed in the trailer, which is set in the next phase of their various adventures.
Additionally, the trailer offers a brief glimpse of two faces that should be familiar to longtime fans of the series: Varric and Lace Harding. Both are seen in a handful of shots reacting to the action, suggesting they will play a role in the story. Varric was first introduced in Dragon Age II to complement Hawke, while Harding was introduced in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The trailer ends with a fall 2024 release window, meaning fans will have to wait a little longer for an exact date. That release date lines up with recent speculation, with one report saying BioWare was planning to debut the next Dragon Age game within this financial year. It’s been almost a decade since the most recent Dragon Age title, Inquisition, so fans have been eagerly awaiting a release date for quite some time, to say the least.
In the meantime, BioWare has continued to slowly release more information, previously announcing that the full reveal of Dragon Age: The Veilguard would take place this summer. The studio previously revealed an in-game cinematic in December 2022 that focused on Solas, a playable companion in Inquisition who will play a major role in The Veilguard – especially considering that the game’s previous name, Dreadwolf, was one of its aliases.
It’s the latest major information we’ve gotten about the highly anticipated fantasy RPG following its name change earlier this week. In an exclusive interview with IGN, BioWare General Manager Gary McKay revealed some more details about what to expect from The Veilguard, and explained some of the logic behind the name change.
“One thing that’s important to remind fans is that every Dragon Age game is a new and different experience and this game is more than ever about you and your companions – a group you must gather to fight by your side ,” says McKay. told IGN at the time. “…“In the end, the most important thing for us was to have a title that was authentic to the companions who are at the heart of this adventure we have created.”
The pressure on The Veilguard is undoubtedly high for EA and BioWare, and it could be BioWare’s highest-stakes release yet. The studio was painfully fired last year and the next installment in the other major series, Mass Effect, is still in pre-production.
We’ll learn a lot more when The Veilguard reveals gameplay next week.
Alex Stedman is a senior news editor at IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.