4 Developers Perfect to Take Over Dragons Age and Mass Effect After BioWare
For more than three decades, BioWare helped define what players expect from role-playing games. No series proves this more than Dragon Age and Mass Effect, both of which could have faded into obscurity after BioWare closed. Both franchises offered memorable companions, difficult decisions, expansive worlds, and stories that could change depending on how players approached them. That said, the end of the developer does not necessarily mean that Dragon Age and Mass Effect are dying too. There is always the possibility that EA sells off or licenses the IPs, allowing other developers to create a game in these worlds.
Any transition would require careful consideration of the original games’ identities, established lore, and dedicated communities. Simply attaching familiar names to unrelated experiences would not be enough. The ideal successor would understand what makes these adventures special while bringing fresh ideas to their worlds. The gaming industry is full of talented studios and developers, but it would take a special one to revive both of these series. With that in mind, these are the four developers we’d like to see tackle Dragon Age and Mass Effect in the future.
4) Dragon Age – Warhorse Studios
Warhorse Studios has demonstrated that a studio does not need fantastical creatures or elaborate magic systems to create an absorbing role-playing game. Kingdom Come: Deliverance focuses on historical authenticity, immersive environments, political conflicts, and a protagonist who truly goes from zero to hero. While the studio is known for historical settings, it is clear Warhorse Studios is willing to dive into the fantastical with The Lord of the Rings, but Dragon Age is another perfect opportunity.
One of the franchise’s greatest strengths is the tension between competing factions, religious institutions, political leaders, and ordinary people caught between them. The Ferelden civil war, the Mage-Templar conflict, and the complicated relationships between nations all could fit Warhorse Studios’ talents. With the right team, exploring Thedas through villages, fortified cities, and contested territories where political instability affects everyday life would be a great way to expand the series.
There would be challenges. Dragon Age requires deep party relationships, magical combat, fantastical enemies, and companions whose personalities develop throughout the adventure. Warhorse would need to expand beyond its established historical setting and learn to balance those systems with its strengths in immersive world design. Regardless, I think the studio would nail it, perhaps offering a smaller and more grounded adventure focused on political intrigue rather than saving the world.
3) Mass Effect – The Coalition
The Coalition might seem like an unconventional choice for Mass Effect, but its experience developing Gears of War makes the studio worth considering. Both games feature fantastic third-person cover-based combat, so there would be a natural transition there. The studio is also adept at delivering emotional, character-driven narratives and cooperative experiences. That combination of technical expertise, cinematic presentation, and third-person action could provide a strong foundation for another science-fiction RPG.
While Mass Effect is far more RPG than Gears of War, they have similar identities. Both were built around alien civilizations, military conflicts, personal relationships, the threat of extinction, and satisfying combat. The Coalition has spent years refining cover-based shooting, enemy encounters, weapon handling, and large-scale action sequences. Those skills could help make firefights against hostile alien forces feel intense.
Where the challenges come in is that Mass Effect needs more than excellent shooting. Players expect branching dialogue, complicated moral decisions, party members with their own motivations, and a galaxy that feels alive beyond its combat arenas. This is where The Coalition would need to step up and prove itself, because as much as I love Gears of War, the storytelling pales compared to Mass Effect. Still, The Coalition absolutely deserves a chance to prove what it can do when it steps away from its comfort zone.
2) Dragon Age – CD Projekt Red
If there is one developer I would love to see take on Dragon Age, it is CD Projekt Red. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the finest open-world RPGs in history. Even outside of this, looking at Cyberpunk 2077 shows the studio understands complicated characters, political intrigue, and choices that rarely offer easy answers. A story-driven RPG set in the world of Thedas and hand-crafted by CD Projekt Red could easily be one of the best games in the series and the perfect way to revive it following Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
I consider the relationship between The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Both explore fantasy worlds shaped by political rivalries, prejudice, ancient threats, and competing ideas about how society should function. CD Projekt Red has shown that even relatively small quests can become fascinating stories when the characters involved have understandable motivations and conflicting interests. I would especially like to see the studio tackle a new cast of companions who come together, not out of choice, but necessity.
But this is a project that would take time, especially considering what CD Projekt Red already has in the pipeline. Even then, we’ve seen what happens when a studio rushes development, both with Cyberpunk 2077’s launch and the recent The Witcher 3 remaster. To save Dragon Age, the studio would need to take its time and make everything perfect. Anything less than that could be the final nail in the coffin for one gaming’s greatest series.
1) Mass Effect – Bungie
Bungie is probably my #1 pick for taking over Mass Effect. While there have been issues with Destiny and Marathon, there is no doubt that the studio understands sci-fi worlds better than almost anyone. When looking at the Halo trilogy, Bungie has accomplished a great deal and could easily help shape the future of Mass Effect. There would likely need to be some significant changes to Bungie’s current mindset, but with the right support, it is possible.
What interests me most is the possibility of combining Bungie’s combat design with the character-driven storytelling that made the original Mass Effect trilogy so beloved. I can already imagine boarding an unfamiliar alien vessel, investigating an abandoned colony, and then fighting through an encounter where every weapon feels distinct and every enemy requires a different approach. Bungie understands how to make futuristic weapons satisfying to use, but its science-fiction worlds also feature mysteries that encourage players to keep exploring.
The studio has spent decades crafting sci-fi worlds and I would love to see everything it has learned applied to Mass Effect. This could be the pivot back to engaging single-player experiences that Bungie needs. The idea of Bungie’s excellent shooting paired with Biotics supporting a sprawling, character-focused space opera is exciting, especially if the studio could recapture the sense of discovery that made exploring the galaxy so compelling in the first place and the fame that it achieved with Halo.