Veilguard Available for Free to PlayStation Plus Members This March

After facing many years of challenges and controversies, it’s unfortunate that not enough players have experienced “Dragon Age: The Veilguard.” As of January, only about 1.5 million individuals had played this highly anticipated fantasy role-playing game, which is a tiny fraction compared to the 12 million who bought “Dragon Age: Inquisition” a decade earlier. Even though it had a rocky development journey, “The Veilguard” is still a remarkable action RPG that could have marked a fresh start for BioWare, especially after the studio dealt with setbacks from live-service failures like “Mass Effect: Andromeda” and “Anthem.” In an interesting move, EA is now offering “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” for free to PlayStation Plus members starting in March, hoping to attract more players.

In addition to “The Veilguard,” other popular titles such as “Sonic Colors Ultimate” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection” will also be available for subscribers on March 4. This means that subscribers can keep these games as long as they maintain their memberships. However, the previous month’s games will be removed on March 3, so anyone who wants to keep games like “Payday 3,” “High on Life,” or “Pac-Man World Re-Pac” should save them soon.

I’m looking forward to more players discovering “The Veilguard.” It has revived my interest in the “Dragon Age” series after I became disillusioned during the long wait between “Inquisition” and this new game. However, I’m also frustrated with the controversy that is likely to arise after the game has been made free so soon after its launch. EA has faced criticism for mistreating BioWare, which struggled through multiple reboots of the game yet still delivered a product that showcases what the studio does best. The fact that “The Veilguard” turned out to be a traditional BioWare RPG, and not another live-service game as EA might have preferred, feels like a remarkable achievement. Unfortunately, since its release, the publisher has barely supported it and has instead put it down publicly.

It’s true that “The Veilguard” is not without its faults, but it embodies what BioWare should strive to create. Yet here we are, presenting it as a free title on PlayStation Plus, even though it fell short of unrealistic sales expectations set by EA.

If you have a Plus subscription, I encourage you to play “Dragon Age: The Veilguard.” Despite its imperfections, it plays a significant role in the larger story of BioWare, possibly representing one of the final projects from some of the key talents at the studio. Playing this game can offer you a glimpse into what makes BioWare special and the kind of experiences their fans have come to love.