Dragon Age 4 is the next mainline entry into the beloved fantasy RPG series. It’s officially called Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and will focus on the titular Dread Wolf, being Solas in this case.
Unfortunately, despite having been revealed a few years ago, there’s still very little information regarding a Dragon Age: Dreadwolf release date. We also don’t know what the gameplay will be like, or what the story will entail, besides some very broad strokes. A recent earnings call did shed some potential light on when we can expect Dragon Age 4 to come out, but for now, it’s very much a waiting game.
While we wait for more details on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, here’s everything that’s been revealed about the game so far, including a look at the latest trailers, news and when a possible release date might come around.
Dragon Age 4: cut to the chase
- What is it? The fourth installment in the RPG franchise, Dragon Age
- What can I play it on? TBC (Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC are likely)
- When can I play it? TBC (before April 2024)
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf release date and platforms
Despite the fact that the game’s development had long been an open secret, Dragon Age 4 was only officially announced by BioWare a couple of years ago. Since then, BioWare has kept its cards pretty close to its chest. Neither a release date nor a release window has been announced.
Platforms haven’t been officially confirmed yet. Given its release date seems to be a while off and a Gamescom 2020 clip made mention of “next-generation technology”, it’s likely that Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf will skip PS4 and Xbox One, coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC instead.
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf trailers
Back in December 2022 BioWare released an in-game cinematic from Dragon Age Dreadwolf. In the trailer, we hear fan-favorite bard Varric Tethras give his account of the story of the Dread Wolf, or, to use the name of his mortal form: Solas. Over the course of his tale, Varric tells us how Solas separated the Fade (the realm of magic) from reality by creating a Veil between the two.
Unfortunately, it looks like Solas has ideas about, tearing down the Veil, destroying the world, and ushering in an apocalypse. On top of that, it looks like “we’re the only ones who can stop him.”
The two other Dragon Age: Dreadwolf trailers can be found on the official Dragon Age YouTube channel. These include the teaser trailer from the 2018 Game Awards as well as the second teaser featured during the 2020 Game Awards.
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf story and setting
BioWare hasn’t confirmed the exact storyline for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf just yet but that title and the game’s trailer makes one thing clear: Solas is going to be involved somehow. This time as the main antagonist. Now, we’ve put together a guide on exactly who Solas is for those keen on digging into the details but suffice it to say he’s a murky character who made a strong impression in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
This is BioWare’s description of him: “Solas, the Dread Wolf. Some say he might be an ancient elven god, but some say not. Others say a betrayer of his people…or a savior who now seeks to rescue them at the cost of your world. His motives are inscrutable and his methods sometimes questionable, earning him a reputation as something of a trickster deity—a player of dark and dangerous games.”
Intriguing, right? The return of Solas as well as characters like Varric certainly suggests that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s story will pick up not too long after Dragon Age: Inquisition. However, like all the previous games in the series, it’ll see players step into a brand new protagonist’s shoes with the official website stating, “Thedas needs a new hero; one they’ll never see coming.”
New heroes and fresh starts make sequels accessible and we also know that playing Dragon Age: Inquisition isn’t going to be a prerequisite for getting stuck into Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, as BioWare has confirmed that “if you’re new to Dragon Age, you have no need to worry about not having met our antagonist just yet. He’ll properly introduce himself when the time is right”.
Dragon Age 4: Dreadwolf news
EA earnings call rules out 2023 release
EA’s latest earnings report has confirmed that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf won’t be out until at least April 2024. The report contained a schedule that includes all announced titles with releases planned before next April. These include the mobile game Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle Earth, Immortals of Avenum, and Madden 24, but not Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Mass-Effect devs join the team
As reported by GameBeat, several Mass Effect developers have joined the development team working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to help the game cross the finish line. Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah also joins to serve as a consultant, as the game reportedly nears its final stages of production.
Alpha milestone reached
In the latest Dragon Age 4 blog update, published in October 2022, GM Gary McKay revealed the game has reached its Alpha Milestone, meaning it is now playable from start to finish. But the game “is not finished by any means”, and the studio is now focused on polishing narrative and gameplay features.
“First and foremost, we can now turn our sights toward bringing the visual fidelity to its final form and iterating on gameplay features,” McKay wrote in the blog. “The big question now is, “Where do we focus our efforts?” To answer that, we solicit feedback from a number of sources, including our Community Council members who each have unique perspectives and experiences, our quality verification team, and extensive internal playtesting. Gathering feedback from multiple sources gives us the greatest insight on where we need to spend more time improving the experience.
“Additionally, we can now evaluate the game’s pacing, how relationships evolve over time, and the player’s progression, as well as narrative cohesion – essentially how the story comes together. We can take the story we’ve written and see if we’re expressing it well through the characters, dialogue, cinematics, and ultimately, the player’s journey. Now that we have the ability to do a complete playthrough, we can iterate and polish on the things that matter most to our fans.”
