BioWare has already plotted out "theoretical" Dragon Age 4 and 5
Tevinter is coming.
Mass Effect might have been put on ice and all recent attention diverted to Anthem, but BioWare still has a long plan for its Dragon Age franchise.
Dragon Age boss Mike Laidlaw told a fan on Twitter his team already had ideas for a "theoretical" Dragon Age 5.
"There is no planned ending for DA," Laidlaw said, in response to a question asking if the fantasy role-playing series once had a set conclusion.
"There is an evolving plan that tends to look two games ahead or so."
This long-planned focus is evident in the games themselves. Dragon Age Inquisition's Big Bad Corypheus was first featured in Dragon Age 2 DLC. Meanwhile, Inquisition's excellent epilogue DLC Trespasser amply set up the forthcoming Dragon Age 4.
"Thus, I could tell you what -could- be in a theoretical game five," Laidlaw continued, "if there were a theoretical game four happening."
BioWare and EA have yet to formally announce Dragon Age 4 (which will likely be named something different when finally revealed), though it is an open secret the core Dragon Age team within BioWare have been working on the series' next project for some time.
Eurogamer previously chatted about this next Dragon Age project with one of its writers, Alexis Kennedy, of Sunless Sea fame. He didn't say the words Dragon Age 4 - but then he didn't really need to.
It's reassuring to know BioWare has plans for the future of Dragon Age, after the rocky year the company has faced so far. Mass Effect Andromeda launched in March to underwhelming reviews. Last month, BioWare's Montreal studio was formerly closed and its staff transferred elsewhere within EA. And while another Dragon Age is widely anticipated, BioWare has its head down on big new IP Anthem. Anthem is not due until next year, so it's unlikely we'll see the next Dragon Age until 2019.
All of which means that story plans may well be changed, as new ideas surface. "I strongly believe that if you try to hold to a rigid plan that is a decade old by the time you reach the end, you are wasting ops," Laidlaw concluded.
Let's hope we see the next Dragon Age sooner rather than later.