- Veteran BioWare developer Mark Darrah posted a YouTube calling out gamers’ toxicity.
- He said that people disliking a game doesn’t justify hate towards developers’ personal life.
- He calls people celebrating the layoffs cruel.
The fourth major entry in the Dragon Age series failed to live up to expectations and the series’ reputation. Following such an underwhelming launch, studio BioWare was hit with a massive layoff, with only less than 100 surviving members now.
One of the developers, Mark Darrah, has now posted a YouTube video calling out the toxicity from gamers. While Dragon Age: Veilguard wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the video, it’s quite obvious that the developer was calling out fans who were celebrating the studio’s layoffs.
Why It Matters: Dragon Age: Veilguard’s narrative themes caused huge controversy and partially led to the game’s failure. This also caused backfire from fans who weren’t afraid to voice their opinion on the game.
The YouTube video titled “Your $70 Doesn’t Buy You Cruelty” has been quite controversial. While Darrah didn’t specifically mention the game’s wrongs, it sounds like he was blaming the game’s management for the failure.
The developer said this about people celebrating layoffs just because they didn’t like the game.
you’re crossing a line into being cruel and fundamentally you should have more grace for other human beings
Moreover, he also said that none of this justifies people climbing onto the developer’s social media and attacking them.
When you decided to personally attack that one specific person on social media, how certain are you that it was their fault, that they are responsible for that thing that you don’t like?
BioWare also allegedly sent DMCA strikes to people criticizing the game. Whether it was poor writing, bland gameplay, or forced DEI elements, Dragon Age: Veilguard was the most disappointing release of 2024.
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Considering how much of a disaster Dragon Age: Veilguard was, another hiatus in the series is expected. All focus has now diverted towards Mass Effect, which isn’t expected before 2029. Still, Dragon Age isn’t completely dead as a franchise.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
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