In a shocking turn of events this year, *Dragon Age: The Veilguard*, the latest installment in BioWare's beloved franchise, found itself nearly entirely shut out of nominations at The Game Awards. This follows a spectacular run for its predecessor, *Dragon Age: Inquisition*, which celebrated multiple Game of the Year accolades a decade ago. Fast forward to 2024, and *The Veilguard* managed to secure only a single nomination for its Accessibility features, a category that, while important, isn’t among the major awards that define the event.

For longtime fans of the series, this outcome is difficult to accept. BioWare, which has long been known for its gripping storytelling and character development, is in the midst of attempting a much-needed revival after a rocky past decade marked by mixed reception for titles like *Mass Effect: Andromeda* and *Anthem*. Notably, *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* scored an 82 on Metacritic—just three points shy of *Inquisition’s* score of 85—leaving many to wonder why it failed to garner higher recognition than it did.

While it's understood that not every game can land a Game of the Year nomination—especially in a year saturated with strong contenders—it's surprising that a new *Dragon Age* title, especially after a ten-year gap, didn't secure nominations for Best RPG, Best Narrative, or for any of its impressive voice performances. The anticipation of seeing the franchise return to prominence added weight to expectations, making the snub even more pronounced.

Leading up to the Nominations announcement, there was speculation that *Dragon Age* would receive multiple nods, potentially overshadowing even more polarizing titles like the recently released *Wukong*. Instead, it seems that art piece found favor with the voters, landing a coveted GOTY nomination while *The Veilguard* was relegated to a single accessibility mention.

Critics have pointed out that while some may claim The Game Awards are inconsequential, the significance of industry recognition cannot be understated—especially for a studio like BioWare, which once dominated such events with franchise heavyweights like *Mass Effect* and the older *Dragon Age* games. The statement made by this year's nominations may not bode well for BioWare’s narrative of a comeback.

Compounding this troubling situation is the lack of transparency surrounding sales figures and player counts for *Veilguard*. Nearly three weeks post-launch and EA has yet to release any robust statistics. The only data available is Steam concurrent player numbers, which peaked at 85,000 during launch. In a market where positive reception is often followed by enthusiastic sales figures, the silence from EA is telling.

Interestingly, in a year that saw significant titles like *Star Wars Outlaws* gain substantial nominations, the *Dragon Age* franchise appears to be struggling to resonate with a broader audience. Critics note that despite decent reception from players—evidenced by a Mostly Positive score on Steam along with favorable ratings on consoles—there's an element missing that is essential for widespread appeal.

As fans look ahead, there's a glimmer of hope pinned on BioWare's upcoming *Mass Effect* installment, which many hope will regain the studio's former glory. However, after the lukewarm reception of *The Veilguard*, one must wonder if BioWare can indeed achieve the turnaround it desperately seeks.