Summary
The criticism ofDragon Age: The Veilguardbecoming “woke” is uninformed, series creator David Gaider has suggested, all the while labeling those who propagate it as “tourists.” His rebuttal is just the latest development in the culture wars that have recently encompassed the upcomingDragon Agegame.
Multiple popular online boards, includingThe Veilguard’s Steam Discussions forum, have lately been flooded with criticism about the fourth entry in the long-running franchise being “woke.” Some of the posters contributing to this wave of complaints seem to have taken issue withDragon Age: The Veilguard’s companions being canonically pansexual, arguing that this attempt at offering diverse romance options robs them of personality. Others appear to be irked by the game’s diverse cast of characters for various stated reasons.
Dragon Age Creator Says Series Has Always Been ‘Woke’
Has choice words for ‘the usual suspects’
Dragon Ageseriescreator David Gaider has recently opted to respond to some of these complaints by remarking how “the usual suspects are upset at how ‘woke’ the new Dragon Age is, an apparently sudden and unexpected development in the series.” Following up on that train of thought, the industry veteran called the people who spread this sentiment “f*****g tourists” in a recentBluesky post. The label was meant to imply that these critics arefalsely presenting themselves asDragon Agefans, who would know that the series could have been categorized as “woke” from its very first entry, which hit the market back in 2009.
Apparently, the usual suspects are upset at how “woke” the new Dragon Age is, an apparently sudden and unexpected development in the series. F*****g tourists.
In a subsequent interaction with another Bluesky user, Gaider clarified that he has no issues with people liking or disliking whatever they haveseen from the upcomingDragon Agegameso far. His initial comment was intended to counter the notion thatThe Veilguardintroduces a new level of “wokeness” to the franchise.
TheDragon Ageseries has always been fairly inclusive. It started out before the word “woke” was even part of the widespread English vernacular, and long before it was adopted as a sarcastic pejorative for anything perceived as progressive, such as LGBTQ andmultiracial representation in the media. This could help explain why the first three mainline installments weren’t as polarizing, as they debuted at a time when widespread online culture wars of this sort were not as prevalent.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardis slated to hit the market on October 31, when it will launch on both PC and the current-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Although Gaider has lately been fairly vocal about his views on the game and the wider perceptions surrounding it, he wasn’t involved inThe Veilguard’s development, as he departed from BioWare back in 2016.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
