After ten years of silence, the Dragon Age franchise is finally coming back, with a brand new set of companions for players to fall in love with. The Veilguard brings seven stalwart companions to stand at Rook’s side, and each and every one of these characters is romanceable, regardless of which character you play. That’s not particularly surprising, as RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 do the same thing, but it is a change for the Dragon Age series. That being said, it’s a change that’s been thought through, as BioWare confirmed to Inverse that every party member isn’t just an instant romance option, but canonically pansexual.
Every Dragon Age game has featured queer romance options, but they were also locked to specific genders and options. Most characters are locked to a specific genders, while some, like Inquisition’s Cullen, will only romance specific races. It’s interesting to see Veilguard shift away from that tradition, but it seems to be an intentional move to provide players with freedom, reflective of the ethos at the heart of the game.
During a hands-off preview Inverse had the chance to see an hour of gameplay from the beginning of the Veilguard and briefly chat with developers.
“We have a smaller cast in previous games of seven companions. So player choice becomes paramount,” says creative director John Epler, “We wanted to make sure, but it's also there's a difference for us between playersexual and pansexual. Each of these characters is canonically pansexual.”
The term “playersexual” has gained more popularity in games in recent years, becoming the de facto way to talk about games that let you romance every character. The idea is that, mechanically, characters are simply attracted to the player because they’re the main character, but they don’t actually have identities themselves. It’s often a point of contention, as many feel that making characters “playersexual” oversimplifies complex characters, taking away the development and narratives that could have been there if they have legitimate identities and preferences.
Over the last two decades, BioWare games have been pivotal in furthering romance options in video games. The developer practically set the stage for choice-based RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, and after ten years it’s going to be interesting to see if BioWare can manage to push the envelope once again.
