Dragon Age is one of Bioware's biggest games, a massive epic that spans entire continents in the fantasy world of Thedas, with three main titles and numerous spin-offs. Only Mass Effect rivals it, but after Mass Effect Andromeda's misfire and the closing of the original Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age is now arguably Bioware's biggest franchise - with Dragon Age 4 in production alongside the upcoming Anthem.
It should come as no surprise then that series director Mike Laidlaw revealed over Twitter that the Dragon Age 4 team have plans for both Dragon Age 4 and 5 mapped out, but it might surprise you that he reveals that, unlike the Mass Effect trilogy, no definite end has been planned for the saga.
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Mike Laidlaw revealed this information while replying to a question over Twitter. The question was, "When Dragon Age Origins was made, was the DA ending always known/planned, or has the main plot slowly evolved?" Laidlaw replies, "There is no planned ending for DA. There is an evolving plan that tends to look 2 games ahead or so." The key word in there being "evolving", as Laidlaw clarifies that this is not a rigid plan and both can and has to change along the way.
Whether because of budget, audience demands, time, or just how the story changes as it is written, we're certain that Dragon Age 4 and especially 5 will change massively from this plan. Just look at how Dragon Age Inquisition evolved due to cuts and over-ambition, such as having to fight to keep control of Keeps. Mass Effect 3's story changed a great deal following the departure of lead writer Drew Karpyshyn. Anyone who's ever planned anything creatively will know that the second you actually start doing it the plan will completely go out the window.
Of course it's the lack of an ending to the Dragon Age saga that might surprise people most, especially if it's not even in plan form. Most fantasy sagas are at least remotely mapped out. Even George RR Martin probably has notes about how A Song of Ice and Fire is going to end, for when Brandon Sanderson finishes The Winds of Winter ten years from now after the author's tragic lynching by HBO executives.
We can only guess that Bioware sees the Dragon Age universe as a series of different stories with no linking narrative, like most fantasy sagas you can name. If you've played Trespasser, the last DLC for Dragon Age Inquisition, you'll know that the ending of that set up a Dragon Age 4 that might not even have the Inquisition in it. At least Dragon Age fans can be safe in the knowledge that at least one more game in the series is coming, unlike Mass Effect.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Mike Laidlaw also clarifies that the titular "Dragon Age" period that the games are set in has at least 50+ years left in it. So we've got a few games left before the series has to be renamed "Nug Age".
