BioWare Veteran Explains Who Was Actually Responsible for Controversial Dragon Age Decisions

James Ohlen, a BioWare veteran who was director on the first Baldur’s Gate games, has defended the studio’s staff after Electronic Arts closed BioWare. He argued that rank-and-file developers should not be held responsible for questionable decisions made by management.

After news of the closure, many players criticized the laid-off employees and blamed them for the studio’s failure and for the controversial decisions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Ohlen pointed out that most programmers, artists, and level designers had little influence on the story and artistic direction of the games.

The developer also admitted that he is concerned about modern pop culture, where intrusive ideology and political themes can ruin a good story.

Ohlen also noted that he was personally responsible for controversial elements in Dragon Age: Origins, such as the creepy Broodmothers and the romance with Zevran. According to the article, these elements helped build an interesting adult world at the time and did not serve as a manifesto.