We received an in-game cinematic and gameplay sequence plus a full reveal date for the upcoming Dragon Age game, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, on Dragon Age Day 2023.
As for all of these crumb-like trailers, there will be a thorough examination and breakdown of these sequences, as well as similarities to other trailers and concept art we've seen over the years. Of course, all the links for this scene as well as trailers are linked down below. But without further ado, let's break down the 2023 trailer for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
BioWare states in their blog-
To celebrate DA Day, we’re sharing a look at a few of the in-game locations you’ll explore on this new adventure (and perhaps a little more for those who listen closely). The stage is set. The Dread Wolf is ready to make his move.
Antiva
'We fight for everyone, and we always will. The Crows rule Antiva.' - Andaratiea (?)
Here we see the country of Antiva on the map; on the right we have two landmarks: a city and a crow. The city sits across the land of Treviso, a port city on the Rialto Bay near the outskirts of the Antivan capitol, Antiva City.
From BioWare's blog, it states
Ever the pinnacle of mystery and intrigue, the Crows watch from the deep shadows of beautiful Antiva. Something, however, is amiss, and they are set on uncovering the source.
According to Eight Talons, the short story from Tevinter Nights - The Antivan Crows originated from the area surrounding the city of Treviso. Their order was founded by a group of monks who poisoned their tyrannical duke. As of date, Treviso still remains an important city and meeting area for the Crows; it is the seat of House Valisti, dynasty was founded by a former Antivan Princess who eventually rose to the rank of First Talon.
As speculated, this without a doubt seems to be the headquarters for the Antivan Crows.
However, according to another Short Story: As We Fly, which was posted last year by former BioWare writer Lukas Kristjanson, Treviso has been invaded and captured by the Qunari. The occupying Qunari are led by Daathrata, a member of the Antaam who's nicknamed the Butcher due to his cruelty. The Antivan Crows in the city are actively engaged in resistance efforts, taking out Qunari lieutenants such as Kaathrata the Lash and destroying Qunari weapon caches. We even see art concepts describing this event from back in 2020 for a behind-the-scenes look for Dreadwolf. Where crows are fighting tirelessly against the Qunari invasion.
But as the flycam shows, we can see the city has no signs of invasion and ruin, so whether we hit the timeline of our hero dealing with the incoming Antaam invasion during the events in Dreadwolf is still up for discussion.
For this flycam of the Antivan city of Treviso, is quite cool to compare the scopes of the similar concepts and trailers we have seen throughout the years. For one, we know that the spires of these castles and structures and the mountain ranges have stayed fairly the same. I assume that throughout these types of concepts we are truly seeing different angles and scopes surrounding this city, and it's quite exciting to see what this will truly look like in-game with our new character.
Oh, and for the character we hear in the background, a lovely guess would be towards one of the four Talons that are left over from surviving the ongoing assassination attempts. What's to be speculated among fans of this certain voice is either Andarateia Cantori or Caterina Dellamorte, who is the First Talon of the Antivan Crows.
Clearly, what we can speculate plot-wise, is potential alliances with the Crows and perhaps becoming within the ranks of a Talon to save the northern country of Antiva against the oncoming Qunari invasion. And being an Antivan Crow would par a fair match against the Dreadwolf.
Rivain
'Glory to the risen gods, they've come to deliver this world.' - Lord of Fortune, Bharv?
On the map, we can see the nation of Rivain, a peninsula country that is located immediately next to Antiva on the Rialto Bay.
A vivid image of a moving squid creature that is engulfing the land is displayed. While this is very surprising, Rivain is little known for much in the scope of various cities except for the Qunari settlement Kont-aar and Dairsmuid, it's own capital city.
According to Bioware's blog, they state -
Upon eastern shores and sunkissed sands, the Lords of Fortune no longer hold dominion over the coasts of Rivain—not when dragons are growing bolder and laying waste to their ships.
Much to our alarm, what see in the next shot is of a port city in ruin, whether it's from Qunari invasion, dragons, or even this enormous sea-creature, Rivain is in deep trouble.
However, it is noted that this was an art concept back in 2020, and within the project Morrison section from the book, BioWare: Stories & Secrets from 25 years of Game Development. That us fighting sea-creatures will be a greater possibility. It's unclear whether it's one of these two sorts of creatures, but it's a possible nemesis for our future protagonist.
We can even extrapolate from the voice in the background, which says -
'Glory to the risen gods, they've come to deliver this world.'
This might be a new Lord of Fortune individual, or it could be what some fans believe is Bharv, a Rivaini Lord of Fortune who first appeared in Tevinter Nights. From Rivaini culture and religion, unlike the majority of peoples in Thedas, the Rivaini are not Andrastians and don't believe in the Maker. Rather, they are pantheists who believe in the Natural Order. As such, many hold to the belief that their god and the universe are the same. Due to the acceptance of magic among traditional Rivaini people, being a matriarchal society - elder women or even female seers can freely practice their craft. Specifically, the seers of their land are very similar to holding practices like Morrigan and Solas do.
I mention this because, in the Project Morrison concept, we see a figure of a marine monster that appears feminine and mimics the same head in these recent trailers. Perhaps this is easy to say that the god this Lord of Fortune is speaking about could relate to the speculated elvhen gods we see in murals. Perhaps the monster in Rivain is more than simply a monster, but someone with extraordinary shapeshifting powers that the Rivaini revere. And the next Dragon Age protagonist will have to deal with it's demise...
Anderfels
'Grey Wardens don't hide in our castle, I won't ask good soldiers to turn tail and run.'
- Grey Warden
The following scene from the map depicts the Anderfels, a northern desert on the western continent of Thedas that serves as the headquarters for the well-known Grey Wardens, who have their headquarters within Weisshaupt.
On the left, shows the infamous statue of Andraste, the famed Our Lady of the Anderfels - in World of Thedas Vol. 1 it reads 'Few make the pilgrimage to see the magnificent white statue of Our Lady, carved into the face of the Merdaine near Weisshaupt, and bearing an eternal flame...'
From BioWare's blog, they state -
To the far west, three Grey Wardens patrol the Anderfels. Tremors have been creating disturbances of late. Their cause is unknown. Upon the distant horizon, a storm of ominous intent brews and darkens the skies.
From what we can see in the next shot is a depiction of a looming storm over the Grey Warden's fortress Weisshaupt. This is pretty self-explanatory, we know quite well that there's something going on within the Anderfels, And when we zoom in on this trailer closely, we can see some sort of blighted madness happening within what looks to be an entryway. This looks extremely similar to the blighted flycams we saw back in 2020 for EAPlay's showcase. Each of these constructions might be from the location of Weishaupt's stronghold.
Anderfels is definitely dealing with the Blight and darkspawn like never before, and potentially wiping out the remaining Grey Wardens during it's impending attack. Whether our new protagonist is involved with solving the source of it's problem or not, well, it really depends on what we see fully next year.
And if you're one of those who hates spoilers don't listen to this sentence, but for those who want to see exactly what we do in Weisshaupt, above is a video where I uncover some Dreadwolf leaks posted last year. Who knows what will change for the release, but Weisshaupt is without a doubt something we will encounter and experience within Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Mystery Location
"All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign.'"- mystery voice (Archon, or Black Divine)
The last and final place of the map might seem confusing to look at, but once you line up specific landscapes and tiny images of snakes trailing around this area. This unmarked land is the continent of Tevinter. On the right-most side is what looks to be Arthathan Forest which sits on the Venefication Sea, and depicts the drawing of large aravels in which the elvhen people use to transport themselves to surrounding lands. According to the most recent comic The Missing, Varric, and Harding travel to Arlathan Forest in search of the crucious stone. When the duo finds themselves face-to-face with a pair of Veil Jumpers, they decide to team up. This is where the Veil Jumpers dwell and we could potentially see within Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
But back to the drawings, within the middle of this shot shows a den of snakes traveling between the little cities of Tevinter around the Nocen Sea. And of course, on the right side, sits the wonderous city capital of Tevinter, Minrathous. The Tevinter Imperium is still ruled by powerful magical users in a kind of magocracy. Its nobility is noted for being excessive, and slavery is still maintained. And Tevinter would disintegrate if slaves were not available to maintain its economy.
As opposed to previous Dragon Age games, this is the continent in which greed, pride, and those who do evil the best are rewarded greatly. And it's history is rich with mysteries beyond the human's comprehension, as they build their structures on top of former historic landscapes, all of the structures are built on top of old temples dedicated to the old religions the Tevinter magisters used to believe in, the Old Gods.
An ambiguous voice looms over this land stating - "All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign." Which oddly sounds too familiar to Patrick STEWART??? uriel septim plzzz
Whether this is a Patrick Stewart dupe or not, they sound super cool and evil. Of course I am sure many evil figures exist in Tevinter - but from what we have seen in concept art and perhaps alluded from the Netflix show Dragon Age: Absolution, this voice could very well be the figure of the Black Divine or Archon Radonis from the former comic Magekiller.
Whether it's two of these figureheads that lead the nation of Tevinter or not, it leads me to believe that there's always some malevolent figure in Tevinter looking to become powerful in one shape or another within each of these Dragon Age games.
One thing we know for sure in Tevinter, is that the Inquisition is looking to participate within their politics and plans in some way. If this potentially links to the Dreadwolf, we will ultimately see.
At the end of the blog, BioWare states -
This long-awaited chapter of Dragon Age is fast approaching—the time is close at hand. We’ll see you next summer with answers to your questions, including ones you have yet to ask.
With that will come our full reveal including new trailers, gameplay, and—of course—the long-awaited release date. The Dread Wolf will rise once more and we’ll have much more to share with you as we approach Summer 2024.
Final Thoughts
To be honest, after all these crumbs, I think if I combine them all together, I could make a slice. And that's what it has kinda felt like for the last 6 years of my content creation journey following the development with Dreadwolf.
Not to mention, it's plainly obvious that many of BioWare's former glory of talent has either left or been sent to exodus during this year. Including many of them suing BioWare for not paying full-severance of their leave. Whether BioWare and EA settled for the case, has been largely quiet, yet just this last month, protests stood in front of BioWare's doors to consolidate N7 day. Creating the movement to #N7ServerenceDay.
BioWare is not the same company as it was decades ago, I have personally dealt with them unfairly, I have seen them treat fans and other creators unfairly, and I have seen the fandom and it's toxic positivity get in the heads and egos of those who say they fight for rights of others, yet happily glee over tiny crumbs of content and ignore the company's misconduct.
I personally know BioWare and it's employees could care less about me, and I don't mind, but I hope in 2024 they start showing exactly what they corporately talk about in their blogs, I hope they keep the wonderful creativity and world-building their former employees gave to them for the majority of their life & careers. And I'm holding on to that hope that their work will be satisfied to the very end.
My wonderful friend and moderator Carianne said it well -
The way I see it, BioWare is in a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” situation with DA:D. The majority of people anticipating this game have been waiting for nearly a decade. Naturally, we are going to be tired of the cycle of radio silence, vague teaser, then a return to radio silence. There are also a lot of “members” of the community (outside of this one) who are weirdly vitriolic. If you look on any of BioWare’s social media posts, you’ll see a lot of anger and outrage about how their studio will close, they’ve sold out, they’ve ruined their franchises, DA:D is ruined/will never be released, etc. I get the frustration, but shouting into the void via BioWare’s mentions helps no one. I really sympathize with their marketing team, because they’re at a place where if they do post something, it will never be enough until it’s a firm release date. If they don’t post something, somehow that will justify people’s personal theories about how DA:D’s development is being mishandled behind-the-scenes. Personally, I’m tired of the crumbs and wish that they would hold off until they’re allowed to reveal the showstopper trailer we’re all waiting for, but I recognize that if they don’t do that, people will absolutely flip the f*ck out.
I’m excited about the little information we can glean from this teaser, but I wish it hadn’t been posted. However, if they hadn’t done anything for DA Day or TGA, I can assure you that the community would be losing their minds over it.
So, I can rationalize their decision to continue parceling out crumbs.
What do you all think? Let me know in the comments below, and I will probably silently watch in the Void till the summer of 2024 - if you see any different content, forgive me, but thank you all for watching, and I will see you in the next video.
Sources -
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCokMTQ6qKk
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