BioWare General Manager Gary McKay gave us an update on a blog post in which he briefly goes over Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect. The studio recently did this at the beginning of the year where they laid out the future of each franchise for the remainder of the year while working in the COVID-19 Pandemic. McKay essentially states that both entries are underway, with Dragon Age “right in the middle” of development while Mass Effect is apparently still very early in its production.
McKay stated in the blog post that they were well past the beginning stages for Dragon Age 4, and are now working on the environments, characters, cinematics, and the story. McKay also mentioned that “the blueprint for the game is well understood and the team is focused” which means that the foundation for the project has been completed and now the full development is fully underway. McKay also briefly goes over how a game is developed at BioWare, which begins with a conception and pre-production phases. This is then followed by the blueprint and then the actual production, which is where Dragon Age 4 is currently. Eventually, the development leads to an Alpha build, then a Beta build. After that, some finishing touches and the project is complete.
McKay also goes over some of the personnel and leadership on the IP. This includes Production Director Mac Walters, Game Director Corrine Busche, Director of Product Development Benoit Houle, and McKay himself as he states that he is overlooking the project while continuing to work as General Manager. As for Mass Effect, it looks like we’ll be waiting a little bit longer before we see anything concrete. As we already mentioned, that project is still in the very early stages of development. McKay did state that it is being helmed by longtime producer Mike Gamble along with a team of veterans, which is a good sign for those who are deeply invested in the expansive story.