BioWare considered paying a team to 'do a remake' of Dragon Age Origins, former executive producer reveals, and 'there were lots of pitches' around upgrading the old RPG

The Scoop on BioWare and Dragon Age

Alright, a little trip down memory lane first. Dragon Age: Origins, for all its pixelated roughness and over-the-top blood splatter effects, still holds a special place in every RPG fan’s heart. Released in 2009, it was gritty, emotional, and packed full of enough political intrigue to make “Game of Thrones” look like “Blue’s Clues.” You felt like a badass Grey Warden commander as you rallied allies to save Ferelden from the Blight. Iconic stuff.

Recently, former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah spilled the tea. Apparently, there were “lots of pitches around upgrading the old RPG.” And listen, they didn’t just think about it over coffee and donuts. BioWare considered actually hiring an external team to “do a remake” of Dragon Age: Origins. I mean, just imagine Origins with modern visuals and mechanics! This could have been a massive win for BioWare and EA—but, spoiler alert, the idea got canned faster than you can reload after your rogue misses an attack.

Why Didn’t BioWare Pull the Trigger?

Here’s where it gets frustrating. You’d think a Dragon Age remake would be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. It seems like the higher-ups at EA weren’t exactly rushing to give BioWare the green light (or the budget) for a project like this. Instead, BioWare’s resources were tied up on “live-service games” and ongoing projects like Dragon Age 4 (it’s actually called Dragon Age: Dreadwolf now, but who’s keeping track?). EA probably thought that putting money into a remake wouldn’t offer the kind of ROI that new titles or heavily monetized live-service games do. Yay, capitalism.

Plus, let’s be real here. Remakes and remasters require substantial effort—even if you’re hiring an external team to do the grunt work. Updating combat systems, dialogue, and animations while preserving the essence of Origins? That’s a tough task. One wrong move, and bam, you’re dealing with outraged Reddit threads and YouTube rants calling the remake “a soulless cash grab.”

There Were Pitches. Oh, There Were Pitches

Mark Darrah mentioned the words “lots of pitches.” Just think about it for a second. Somewhere out there, on someone’s desktop (or cloud drive), there exist concepts and proposals for a brand-new Dragon Age experience that’ll likely never see the light of day. The heartbreak is real, folks. Maybe they wanted to include new side quests. Maybe they planned to fix the graphics so Alistair looked less like a blocky Ken doll. The possibilities are endless.

But alas, Dragon Age fans, all we’re left with is the knowledge that these pitches exist. It’s like BioWare dangled the keys to a Lamborghini in front of us, only to pull them back and hand us a reliable but boring minivan instead. Thanks, I guess?

Could a Remake Ever Happen? (Don’t Hold Your Breath)

Now, before you get any crazy ideas about tweeting BioWare asking for updates, just know that the studio has its plate full enough with Dreadwolf. With the endless hype-cycle surrounding that new title, it’s unlikely BioWare will revisit Origins anytime soon. But never say never. If we’ve learned anything from the gaming industry, it’s that if fans chant loud enough (or show enough “demand” $$$), miracles can happen. Look at Mass Effect’s Legendary Edition as an example.

Still, even if they did greenlight a remake tomorrow, a project of this magnitude wouldn’t hit shelves for several years. That’s an excruciating wait for us die-hard fans. But hey, at least the classic DA: Origins is still playable on current-gen consoles and PC. Fire it up and relive its glory while pretending Morrigan’s stiff animations were “charmingly retro.”

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the idea that BioWare considered paying a team to “do a remake” of Dragon Age Origins isn’t surprising. This franchise has a rabid fanbase (yours truly included), and heavily updated gameplay with modern graphics could’ve easily breathed new life into a beloved title. The fact there were pitches means the dream got close. Close enough to torment us, but not close enough to actually happen.

Whether EA and BioWare revisit the idea or not, it’s clear there’s love for this franchise from both fans and the creators. And hey, if BioWare does release something one day, we’ll all show up like well-caffeinated Grey Wardens ready to save Ferelden (again). Until then, we wait. And nope, we’re not bitter at all (mutters sarcastically).

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