After almost ten years, Dragon Age: The Veilguard finally arrived as the long-awaited follow-up to Dragon Age: Inquisition, but ideas for the new game had been taking shape well before its 2018 reveal. BioWare art director Matt Rhodes recently shared early concept art on Twitter that shows just how far back the planning for the sequel began.
These seven sketches, created in 2014 before The Inquisition was even released, offered a look at potential story directions and highlighted BioWare’s commitment to continuing the franchise. Each sketch envisioned ways to develop unfinished storylines and take players further into the series’ intricate fantasy setting.
Rhodes explained that he started creating these initial sketches in 2014, inspired by the excitement around the Inquisition and the open possibilities it left behind. He described them as quick mock-ups to explore different narrative paths and unresolved storylines from the earlier games.
Through these early images, Rhodes captured some of the big ideas that were already forming within the team about where Dragon Age could go next, illustrating how BioWare was brainstorming ambitious ideas for its future even before the current chapter had closed.
One concept piece imagines a world in turmoil, with the Divine dispatching elite teams on a quest for answers. This image conveys the grand scale of the conflict and the idea of a shattered realm on the brink of chaos.
Rhodes mentioned that the team liked the idea of including “parallel parties,” a second team of notable characters that players might encounter along the way. This concept added a sense of depth and suggested a much larger interconnected story, as it would imply that multiple groups of heroes were working toward their own goals in this troubled setting.
In one of his posts, Rhodes shared ideas for a possible end-game scenario, though he avoided revealing specific details to prevent spoilers. The captions accompanying his artwork gave fans insight into BioWare’s vision for expanding the series’ narrative possibilities.
Rhodes was careful not to spoil potential plot twists, yet his descriptions made it clear that BioWare was exploring various story possibilities before choosing the final direction for The Veilguard, keeping the excitement around what could have been.
Additionally, Dragon Age’s former lead writer David Gaider has recently mentioned that an overarching plot for the series was crafted long ago, including “secret lore” and a potential conclusion to the entire storyline. He described this as a “master lore document,” which contained major plot points hidden from much of the studio’s staff.
Although few people know what this ultimate ending might look like, Gaider’s insights suggest that BioWare has always envisioned a larger storyline with a definitive end. Fans are left to speculate about where the series might ultimately head, but these details provide a sense of the ambitious storytelling goals BioWare has been carrying forward since Dragon Age first began.
