GamesRPGDragon AgeDragon Age: The VeilguardBioWare’s art director reveals eight pieces of decade-old concept art for the earliest version of Dragon Age: The VeilguardWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGDragon AgeDragon Age: The VeilguardBioWare’s art director reveals eight pieces of decade-old concept art for the earliest version of Dragon Age: The VeilguardWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
“All the way back in 2014, before Dragon Age: Inquisition had even shipped, I started sketching out what cool things might come next,“Rhodes wrote. “We had momentum, so these quick mock ups explored where some of the unfinished story threads might lead.”
Image1of8(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
Image1of8(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
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(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
(Image credit: BioWare, Matt Rhodes)
The first four pieces Rhodes posted show scenes of conflict throughout Thedas—my favorite has what seems to be the Chantry’s Divine commanding a naval battle from the deck of a ship. A bearded Qunari (maybe an older Iron Bull?) and Tevinter-looking creeps plot over a map in another, while a third shows nobles bowing before the Inquisitor. The fourth shows casteless dwarves walking out into the sunlight of a tent city, covering their eyes and looking up to the sky in fear—possibly their first time on the surface.
Another batchfrom Rhodes shows Dailish Elves in forest scenes, with Solas having taken refuge among them. One of them shows the bald jerk summoning an Elven god from the Fade, as happens in the final game.
In athird post, Rhodes shared what he characterizes as his “first real piece of concept art” for what would become The Veilguard. “We knew we were going to Tevinter, so this was the first real attempt to flesh that out,” Rhodes explained. You can definitely see a lot of the final game’s take on Minrathous in this earliest mock-up.
I really dig these pieces, and I’m pretty happy with the Dragon Age 4 we eventually got, but I felt my heart break at Rhodes saying “we had momentum” regarding the earliest development on what would eventually become The Veilguard—could BioWare have enjoyed a less fraught decade if that momentum hadn’t been lost or stymied somewhere along the way? Regardless, I always appreciate getting a peek behind the curtain like this.
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