Dragon Age: The Veilguard, launched on October 31, has received mixed reactions, with critics praising it while players criticized it as ‘woke,’ leading to a low user score of 3.9 on Metacritic. In response to the review bombing, Metacritic removed numerous irrelevant reviews. Despite the backlash, the game achieved a successful launch, becoming BioWare’s largest debut on Steam. There will be no additional content, and players can expect 50 to 70 hours of gameplay.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Launch and Initial Reception
Since its release on October 31, players have eagerly delved into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the fourth installment in the beloved Dragon Age series. While the game has garnered praise from critics, it has also been met with a surge of negative reviews on various platforms. This backlash prompted Metacritic to intervene.
Addressing the Review Bombing
Shortly after its launch, Dragon Age: The Veilguard faced a barrage of criticisms, with some players labeling it as ‘woke’. This controversy significantly impacted the game’s rating, resulting in a meager user score of 3.9 out of 100 on Metacritic, starkly contrasting with its critic score of 84. Here are a few of the less-than-flattering reviews:
- “Horrible dialogues and obviously woke propaganda. It’s censorship in all its glory.” (0/10)
- “The woke aspect ruins the game, but the gameplay is nice.” (0/10)
- “This is what happens when you try to impose diversity, equity, and inclusion and sexual ideology in a fantasy game.”
In response to this situation, Metacritic took action. A representative from the site mentioned to Eurogamer that they have a dedicated moderation team that carefully reviews reports of false reviews, especially those that contain offensive language or insults. Consequently, numerous reviews deemed irrelevant and aimed at damaging the reputation of Dragon Age: The Veilguard were removed.
Despite facing this review bombing, the game experienced a strong launch, becoming BioWare’s largest debut on Steam. It boasted an impressive 70,000 concurrent players shortly after its release, surpassing the launch peak of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which reached nearly 68,000 players. To understand the full impact of this phenomenon, we will need to await official figures from Electronic Arts, the game’s publisher.
Looking ahead, the future of Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears uncertain, as Bioware has confirmed that there will be no downloadable content or expansions for the title. Players can expect to enjoy between 50 to 70 hours of gameplay for a complete experience.
As for the popular New Game Plus (NG+) mode, many players are hoping to see it included in DA: The Veilguard. Be sure to check out our guide for more information on this feature, as well as the available options in its absence.