DRAGON AGE: DREADWOLF announced by BioWare

BioWare have confirmed that the next game in their Dragon Age series of fantasy CRPGs will be called Dreadwolf, but the game has no release date as yet.

Dreadwolf will be the fourth game in the series. It began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009 and then continued with Dragon Age II (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). Set on the continent of Thedas, the games initially chronicled the invasion of the civilised lands by a monstrous race called the Darkspawn. Subsequent games have focused on political intrigue and the conflict between wizards and the world's religious orders. The games have spun off a number of novels and comics.

According to BioWare, Dreadwolf will focus on the character of Solas, a character from Inquisition, who will serve as the titular Dreadwolf and the game's main antagonist.

BioWare have been working on the game since Inquisition's release, but development was complicated by several ideas and builds for the game being scrapped and then started over. Staff were also seconded to help on Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) and Anthem (2019). The direction and format of Dreadwolf has changed several times during development, with a strong multiplayer focus being scrapped in favour of being a single-player-only game.

BioWare have not set a release date for the game, but it is not expected before 2023 at the earliest. BioWare are also working on a new Mass Effect game.

DRAGON AGE III will be a next-gen title

It's been claimed that Dragon Age III has been upgraded from a PS3/X-Box 360 title and will instead launch on the next-generation versions of both consoles. A date of (financial year) 2014 is given, tentatively giving credence to reports that the new consoles will launch before the end of 2013 and Dragon Age III may be a launch title for them.

Not entirely surprising news, especially given the rumours that BioWare may make Dragon Age III much more open and freeform than any of their previous titles (and more like Bethesda's RPGs).

BioWare confirm a new MASS EFFECT game and a new IP

The co-founders of BioWare, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, today announced that they are retiring from the company they set up almost twenty years ago. Whilst that in itself has sparked a storm of debate online about why they are leaving - some fans citing the arguably declining quality of their games since BioWare was taken over by Electronic Arts - even more interesting is a statement by Aaryn Flynn, the head of the company's Edmonton and Montreal studios.

Flynn, in a clearly calming-the-waters move, reveals that BioWare are currently actively developing three projects. One of these is the recently-confirmed Dragon Age III: Inquisition, which looks set to launch in late 2013.

Secondly, he confirms that the Mass Effect team is, as expected, working on the long-awaited Omega DLC, which will round off the trilogy's last remaining major unfinished storyline. However, he also unexpectedly confirmed that the team is also starting work on a new, full game set in that universe. Based on previous tidbits, it appears that this new game might be a prequel set centuries or even millennia before the existing trilogy. If true, this will fascinatingly open up the possibility of a game featuring no human characters at all (as the trilogy is itself set only thirty years after humans make contact with the Citadel races).

Finally, he also reveals that BioWare are developing a whole new IP and ficitional universe, based on all-new tech. I'd wager that this game is probably in the earliest stages of development and may be aimed at the next generation of consoles.

More info about DRAGON AGE III leaked (allegedly)

Dragon Age III may soon be competing for some kind of award for the most information ever revealed about a formally-unannounced game. This time around, the leak comes from a survey BioWare have been conducting of their fans to test out some early ideas they are discussing for the game.

A fanmade logo for the game, nothing official.

First up is a bare-bones plot summary:

"A portal between the worlds unleashes hordes of demons in the land, civil wars rip apart nations and the corruption is limitless. Someone is behind the shadows, drawing the threads which destroy the world. Time has come for the Inquisition.

Take the Inquisitor's cloak and lead the only force able of bringing light into the darkness. Choose the direct method and gather your armies, send spies into the shadows or engage in a political war, make friends and use your connections indirectly: it is up to you how you lead the inquisition. But you'll have to take lead of it from the beginning. Make your player a rogue, warrior or mage and set up your crew from up to ten (!) complex companions to lead them against those who attack you by systematically spying on, revealing and destroying them."

And then a slightly more detailed one:

"The great nation of Orlais, the most powerful empire in Dragon Age, tears itself apart in civil war. The stout men and women of Ferelden struggle to recover and reclaim their nation from the horde of vile Darkspawn that lay waste to its lands a decade ago. The Chantry, the once-unified faith of the Dragon Age world stands divided. The Templar order has broken away, claiming the church has become too lax in policing the dangerous powers of the mages. The Mage circles have rebelled, believing the Templars have become too strict, too zealous in their duties, and too quick to slaughter those who step out of line

The world of Dragon Age is one on the brink of collapse, and when a desperate gathering in the name of peace becomes the epicentre of a magical blast that decimates the Chantry's leadership, it becomes clear that someone or something is manipulating events to drive the world into chaos. From the ashes of that explosion, some new rises: The Inquisition. As the Inquisitor, it falls to you to build up your power and martial your forces, uncover secrets and build connections across the world. You must explore forgotten spaces, uncover ancient mysteries and uproot those who would destroy the fabric of the world."

For possible images related to the art style of the game, check the link.

Finally, a list of potential subtitles for the game. This is intriguing, as BioWare haven't used a subtitle on one of their sequels since Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, a dozen years ago:

Dragon Age 3: The Breach
Dragon Age 3: Exarch
Dragon Age 3: Inquisition
Dragon Age 3: Inquisitor
Dragon Age 3: Apocrypha
Dragon Age 3: Please Throw Us a Bone on This One, It Will Be Good This Time, Honest

(note: one of these subtitles might not be accurate)

Since this appears to still be in the early stage of development (and the game remains - ludicrously - not formally announced yet by either BioWare or Electronic Arts), some or all of this may have changed by the time the game is finally released. Or it might have been a fake in the first place, of course.