The Myth of Joplin: BioWare's Unreleased Dragon Age Game

Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah recently offered insights into "Joplin," the unreleased initial concept for the fourth Dragon Age title, in a YouTube Q&A session. He delved into the possibility of Joplin's hypothetical release in February 2019, positioning it as a direct alternative to the current project, The Veilguard. Darrah posited that even with inherent compromises, Joplin might have garnered a more favorable reception than Veilguard. This discussion underscores the persistent fascination with unrealized game projects and the complex interplay of creative vision, market demands, and development challenges within the gaming industry.

Joplin's journey, though never culminating in a release, began its pre-production phase in 2015, following the acclaimed Trespasser expansion for Dragon Age: Inquisition. This iteration of the game was conceptualized as a more intimate experience, focusing on espionage and elaborate heist sequences within the previously unexplored Tevinter Imperium. Its development, however, was fraught with interruptions. In 2016, the team was temporarily diverted to assist with Mass Effect: Andromeda. The following year, Joplin faced outright cancellation as its resources were reallocated to support the development of Anthem. This decision to prioritize Anthem, a live-service title, reflected a broader industry trend and, in EA's case, a strategic shift away from single-player experiences, particularly impacting BioWare during the late 2010s.

The path to what is now The Veilguard was a circuitous one. After Joplin's demise, Dragon Age 4 was rebooted under the codename Morrison, initially conceived as a live-service game. This iteration itself underwent significant transformation, eventually reverting to a single-player focus to become the game we anticipate today. Darrah's commentary raises questions about the allocation of resources and the strategic choices made during these pivotal development periods. He pondered whether Joplin's release in Anthem's slot would have meant the complete cancellation of Anthem or merely a redistribution of resources, allowing for a delayed Anthem and a concurrent, albeit smaller-scale, Joplin release. While the latter scenario appears more plausible given Anthem's momentum, these are ultimately speculative considerations for a game that remains a tantalizing "what if."

Darrah acknowledged that had Joplin shipped, it would undoubtedly have been a "compromised game." Nevertheless, he maintains a belief, albeit with a clear caveat, that it could have been received more positively than The Veilguard. He emphasized the speculative nature of such a comparison, noting that "we'll never know, and it's very easy to pretend like it definitely would be yes." This sentiment encapsulates the allure of mythological games like Joplin, which, by virtue of their unfulfilled potential, often reside in the collective memory as idealized versions of what could have been. Their existence serves as a poignant reminder of the volatile and often unpredictable nature of game development, where creative visions frequently collide with commercial imperatives and logistical realities.