BioWare Reveals Removal of Blood Magic & More in “Dragon Age: The Veilguard”
BioWare has kept fans on their toes regarding Blood Magic and more in the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard. While the game features Dragon Age 2-esque dialogue wheels with fantasy emotes indicating flirtatious or virtuous responses, many players are curious about the extent of moral freedom.
Main Questions
Can players choose a more sinister path? Can they engage in demonic relationships or bully strangers? According to lead writer Patrick “Trick” Weekes, there are limits to the hero’s actions in The Veilguard.
Weekes addressed fan inquiries about the return of popular class specializations like Shapeshifter, Bard, and Blood Mage. He described it as a “never say never” situation.
Shapeshifters, once allowing mages to transform into bears and swarms of bugs, were deemed too ambitious for casual inclusion. Blood Mages, however, were excluded due to ethical concerns.
The Removal of Blood Magic
“Blood magic is unlikely because we’ve shifted it from a power boost to really being the key to a lot of nasty stuff we aren’t interested in having heroes do,” Weekes explained on Blue Sky. In the Dragon Age universe, blood magic involves mages sacrificing their own or others’ blood to cast powerful spells.
Historically, the darkest characters in Thedas have used blood magic to enslave, conquer, and summon demons.
“I think it can be ethically neutral if you only use your own blood, but after seeing it used as a required part of mind control and demon binding in [Dragon Age 2] and [Dragon Age Inquisition], it’s just not a road we want the hero to walk right now,” Weekes continued. “Which is a shame, because ‘use your health to cast more spells’ is a fun gameplay twist for folks who like that kind of risk/reward play style. We might find other ways to get that. Just not blood magic for the hero for now.”
Speculations about the future of the Dragon Age Franchise
Weekes’ comments spark speculation about the moral boundaries and possibilities in the upcoming RPG. In “Dragon Age: Origins,” players could specialize in blood magic due to the dire threat of a demonic horde.
This was due to the Grey Wardens adopting a “By All Means Necessary” approach. Interestingly, a Grey Warden Origin is available to players’ Rook in The Veilguard. We may not know exactly how blood magic perceptions have evolved within the Dragon Age world.
Voice Over Cast Announcements
But that wasn’t the only interesting announcement. On X, the official account for Dragon Age also shared the official voice cast for the latest installment of the game. Many took to the social media platform to share their enthusiasm for being part of the franchise.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to launch later this year on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. As the release date approaches, fans eagerly anticipate more details on how their in-game choices will shape the narrative and moral landscape of Thedas.
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