Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider has said he believes BioWare's fantasy series is unlikely to return while the studio remains owned by publisher EA, though he has outlined how he would approach a fifth instalment. The comments matter because BioWare has been significantly downsized following the mixed reception to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with the studio's remaining staff now focused solely on the next Mass Effect game, leaving little room for a further Dragon Age title in the foreseeable future.

Gaider, a 20-year BioWare veteran who was lead writer on the first three Dragon Age games, told PC Gamer that if handed the franchise he would return to "the basics" and take it somewhere "dark and dangerous", deliberately doing things to upset players — a marked contrast to The Veilguard, which was criticised for its writing and youthful characterisation. He noted that during his time at BioWare the series was "always one breath away" from being shelved but kept surprising EA with strong sales. The Veilguard, however, reached only 1.5 million players in its first three months — half of EA's expectations — compared with Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare's best-selling game ever at 12 million units. BioWare has given no timeframe for Mass Effect 5, which IGN understands is likely still a couple of years away.