Corinne Busche, director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, has recently attributed the game’s disappointing performance to a purported hate campaign and review bombing orchestrated by discontented factions within the gaming community.

However, a closer examination reveals that the failure of The Veilguard stems not from external harassment, but from fundamental missteps in game design and a departure from what made Dragon Age beloved by fans.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

READ: CDPR Admits Original Author Andrzej Sapkowski Was Not Consulted on Ciri’s Witcher Role in ‘Witcher 4’

Busche’s Claims vs. Reality

In a series of statements made to former Kotaku writer Hayes Madsen, Busche claims that Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been the target of a hate campaign, positioning it at the center of a cultural war on social media platforms. The director attributes negative comments and review bombing to the “highly polarized times” we live in, suggesting that these external pressures overshadow the game’s intrinsic flaws.

“It’s hard. I grew up in a time when it really felt like we’re there to celebrate the games and to have these shared experiences, and that drive is still there,” Busche opined in the highly flattering article Madsen scribed on Inverse. “I think the discourse we see is the result of highly polarized times, and perhaps it’s a little naive. I know it’s hard when you have to ask the question, ‘is this game for me? Do I belong here?’ And games are better for it when we can say, ‘yes, you do belong here.’”

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

While Busche emphasizes inclusivity and diversity as pillars of modern game development, it’s essential to scrutinize whether these elements were executed thoughtfully or simply imposed to cater to a specific audience.

The game’s abysmal review scores and dismal sales figures indicate that many players felt alienated rather than welcomed.

Divisive Identity Politics Over Substance

Dragon Age has long been celebrated for its rich storytelling and complex characters. However, The Veilguard appears to have shifted its focus disproportionately toward identity politics, sidelining the intricate narratives and dark fantasy elements that fans cherished. This pivot may have diluted the series’ core essence, leaving players yearning for the depth and darkness that defined earlier installments.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Game Director’s X bio

Busche’s emphasis on diversity and authentic experiences raises the question: Was this focus at the expense of gameplay mechanics and storytelling quality? The game’s inability to balance these aspects likely contributed to its poor reception, rather than an orchestrated hate campaign.

Ignoring the Franchise’s Legacy

One of the critical missteps of The Veilguard is its apparent disregard for the established lore and player expectations of the Dragon Age universe. By moving away from the franchise’s dark fantasy roots and eliminating crucial elements of player choice, the game alienated its loyal fanbase.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), BioWare

Dragon Age’s strength has always been its ability to offer meaningful decisions that impact the narrative, fostering a sense of agency and customization among players. Veilguard’s departure from this formula undermined the very foundation that made the series successful.

Review Scores and Sales Speak Louder Than Words

Whether individuals liked or hated The Veilguard is a subjective metric based on opinion. However, the objective reality we can point to surrounding Veilguard’s release is the sales numbers and review scores it garnered.

These tangible metrics of a game’s success—its review scores and sales numbers—tell a compelling story. Veilguard has a 3.9 out of 10 score on the review site Metacritic, and according to supposed insiders who spoke with YouTuber SmashJT, the game failed to move 1.5 million units against an initial 10 million unit goal.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s abysmal ratings and disappointing sales figures are hard to dismiss as mere fallout from a “hate campaign.” These indicators suggest that the game failed to resonate with both critics and players alike, pointing to inherent issues in its design and execution.

Busche’s Deflection: A Curtain of Bigotry?

By attributing the game’s shortcomings to a hate campaign, Busche may be deflecting responsibility from the actual flaws within The Veilguard which ultimately rest on the shoulders of the individual in charge.

In Veilguard’s case, that’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard Director Corinne Busche.

Dragon Age Director Corinne Busche – YouTube, Smash JT

This narrative can be perceived as an attempt to mask failure with accusations of bigotry, shifting the focus away from constructive criticism. Busche, an individual who identifies as a gender that differs from their anatomy, seems to be playing the bigotry card a little too loudly to cover up one inescapable truth.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed miserably.

It could mark the end of the entire franchise and any effort to deflect from that objective reality only seems to serve a narrative that benefits Busche and the rest of the BioWare development team.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard should serve as a cautionary tale for BioWare and other developers. Success comes from a gamer-centric approach. Maintaining the core elements that define a franchise is crucial to that.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

You ignore fan expectations at your own financial peril. Deviating from established lore can lead to significant backlash. This failure to claim any responsibility while running to friendly outlets that allow one to point at external boogeymen and artificial hate campaigns only makes the development team look worse.

Corinne Busche’s emphasis on inclusivity isn’t the point. That doesn’t appear to be what the gaming community at large is looking for based on the failure of this game along with other DEI titles like Concord, Dustborn, Star Wars: Outlaws. and Unknown 9: Awakening.

It’s fine to have a diverse cast harmoniously integrated with the game’s design and storytelling. But that can’t come at the expense of the experience and fan expectations. Moving forward, BioWare should heed lessons from The Veilguard’s reception and make sure future projects honor the legacy of their franchises while thoughtfully evolving to meet the needs of the audience.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

While external negativity can impact a game’s reception, the primary responsibility lies in delivering a product that aligns with both the creators’ vision and the players’ expectations. Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s failure underscores the importance of maintaining this balance.

Rather than attributing shortcomings to a hate campaign, it’s imperative for BioWare to introspect and address the genuine areas where the game fell short.

What do you think about Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche blaming the failure of this game on a hate campaign? Sound off in the comments and let us know!