In a disappointing opening weekend, *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* peaked at 89,418 concurrent users on Steam. While a commendable number on its own, it falls significantly short of the staggering player counts of some of 2024's most anticipated RPGs. With the bar set high, it's becoming increasingly evident that *The Veilguard* is unlikely to replicate the impressive sales figures of its predecessor, *Dragon Age: Inquisition*, which sold a staggering 12 million copies.

The precise sales threshold for *The Veilguard* to recover its development costs remains under wraps within the confines of EA and BioWare. Given the ambitious nature of the game, its lengthy development time, and the considerable overhead costs of the studio, it can be inferred that the title needs to shift at least several million copies to achieve profitability. However, this remains speculation until more concrete sales data emerges. BioWare, which is still recovering from the mixed receptions of *Anthem* and *Mass Effect: Andromeda*, is undoubtedly banking on *The Veilguard* as a comeback project.

When juxtaposed with the strong performances of other RPGs released this year, the figure of less than 90k concurrent players seems rather underwhelming. For instance, *Dragon’s Dogma 2* surged ahead, reaching 228,585 concurrent users. This achievement is especially impressive considering that it is a continuation of a less mainstream franchise; the original *Dragon's Dogma* sold eight million units, four million fewer than *Inquisition*. In what some might call a shocking twist, *Dragon's Dogma 2* outperformed its high-profile competitor substantially, raising questions about *The Veilguard*'s market appeal.

Moreover, it's important to note that while *Dragon’s Dogma 2* managed to sell 2.5 million units within its release window, the disparity in performance on Steam suggests that *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* may struggle to even reach one million sales during the same period.

Even indie titles such as *Hades 2*, *Enshrouded*, and *The Last Epoch* have experienced greater success on Steam, raising eyebrows over the struggles of a AAA title like *The Veilguard*. Remarkably, two of these indie games are still in early access yet have already outperformed *The Veilguard* in player engagement.

Here's a snapshot of peak concurrent users for some of the biggest RPGs in 2024 so far: - **Black Myth: Wukong** – 2,415,714 - **Last Epoch** – 264,708 - **Dragon’s Dogma 2** – 228,585 - **Enshrouded** – 160,405 - **Hades 2** – 103,567

While *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* clearly falls short of *Black Myth: Wukong*—a title that is being hailed as one of the most monumental releases of this gaming generation—the comparison is somewhat unfair. Expectations for a new *Dragon Age* game, while high, couldn’t match the hype around *Black Myth: Wukong*.

It’s important to keep in mind that we are still in the early stages of *The Veilguard*’s lifecycle. Although it hasn't made the most auspicious start, it also hasn’t been a complete failure either. A critical question looms over its future: How many units does EA anticipate selling? Until that target is revealed, it is difficult to determine its success. However, one thing is clear: *Dragon Age: The Veilguard* is not on track to be the commercial disaster that some had speculated it might become prior to its release. With the gaming landscape constantly shifting, it will be intriguing to see how this title navigates the challenges ahead.