To my surprise, Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC sales just passed CoD: Black Ops 6 on Steam
The new Dragon Age is off to a very strong start, at least on Valve’s PC gaming platform.
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Most people care about October 31 because it’s Halloween — the spookiest of all the holidays, and the one day of the year that cosplaying is universally seen as a cool thing to do. For lots of gamers, though, the thing thatactuallymatters about today is that it’s the release date forDragon Age: The Veilguard, a new highly anticipated RPG from BioWare and Electronic Arts. It’s the first new game in the beloved fantasy franchise in 10 years, and afterwaves of “Generally Favorable” reviewsearlier this week, it’s gotten off to a roaring start on the PC gaming platform Steam.
At the time of writing, the latest Dragon Age title holds the top spot onSteam’s revenue-based Top Sellers chart, surpassing other popular games likeHelldivers 2and even beating out last week’s juggernaut multiplayer FPSCall of Duty: Black Ops 6from Microsoft, Xbox, and Activision. The RPG is certainly getting some help from Black Ops 6’s availability onXbox Game Pass, and I expect the shooter to reclaim its position shortly, but even so, it’s an impressive start for the new BioWare adventure.
In terms of player count on Steam, The Veilguard has peaked at 70,414 according toSteamDB data, with roughly 70,000 Rooks journeying across Thedas as I write this. Not mind-blowing numbers, admittedly, but strong nonetheless — and it’s entirely possible that they’ll rise even higher this weekend once most people have a few days off work.
I wasn’t expecting the game’s opening sales to temporarily propel it past a new entry in one of the most profitable game franchises in the world, but I suppose that’s what happens when dedicated fans finally get the sequel they’ve been waiting a decade for. Indeed, this release has been a long time coming, and is arguably one of 2024’s most pronounced RPG launches.
Notably, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the first new single player RPG from BioWare since 2017’sMass Effect: Andromeda, and its first wholly original release since the failed multiplayer action RPGAnthem(I’m not counting the2021 Mass Effect trilogy remasters). In many ways, it’s a statement of “BioWare is back” after years of struggling to win fans over with its recent projects, and as a longtime fan of the developer, I’m glad to see it’s doing well so far.
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Ironically, the one BioWare series Ihaven’ttried before The Veilguard’s release isDragon Ageitself, so my experience coming into this fourth main installment as a newcomer has been interesting. I’ve been playing through it this past week for coverage, and while I love the action gameplay — combat is fluid, engaging, and sufficiently challenging, and I like how nuanced the buildcrafting is, too — I’ve found the writing to be disappointing compared to, say, theMass Effectgames. There’s a distinct lack of lasting conflict between characters and a fair amount of dialogue that’s overly silly and lighthearted, which has me yearning for some meaningful depth. Still, I’ve enjoyed my time overall, and am looking forward to completing my playthrough.
If you’re wondering, my colleague Samuel Tolbertreviewed Dragon Age: The Veilguard for Windows Central, giving it a score of 4/5 stars. He writes that “Dragon Age: The Veilguard is one of BioWare’s most different titles yet, with an action-heavy focus that can be a mixed bag.” Clearly, he likes the writing more than I do; he noted that “while not every story reveal here is perfectly handled, the characters you meet, both friend and foe, are among BioWare’s best.”
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Even factoring in my issues with the narrative, I can confidently say that I’ve enjoyed The Veilguard way more than Mass Effect: Andromeda, and I’m choosing to be optimistic aboutthe next Mass Effectas a result. The writing may not live up to the standards set by past BioWare games, but the characters are all still pretty likeable, and the developer hasdone a good job making sure that lots of the choices you make throughout the story — both big and small — have tangible, meaningful consequences.
If you’re interested in getting the game, it’s available for $69.99 on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, and $59.99 on Windows PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the EA app. On PC, it’s also playable through the Pro tier ofEA Play, and since it’s expected to eventually release on the regular version of EA Play, it’s likely thatXbox Game Pass Ultimatesubscribers will eventually get access.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
10 years after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, a new team must be formed to stop the Dread Wolf from tearing down the Veil that separates the land of Thedas from a world of spirits and demons. Roleplaying as Rook, you’ll form alliances and build up allies to keep the world from being destroyed.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
