Before release Dragon Age: The Veilguardscheduled for October 31st, tensions are rising among fans of the series and the gaming community. Despite high expectations, the game is currently only 19th on Steam’s list of best-selling projects, and, apparently, pre-orders for it are not as active as they could be. .
The review embargo is expected to be lifted today, October 28, but the selection of reviewers for Early Access is questionable. YouTuber WolfheartFPS reported that BioWare did not provide review copies to those authors who took a more critical approach to the project. In addition, other critical authors, including the popular reviewer Luke Stevens, did not receive copies. Actions like this from the developers have led to discussions about a possible attempt by BioWare to control the first rating.
WolfheartFPS, which has more than 220 thousand subscribers, expressed surprise:
Three writers, myself included, were a little more certain about the game, and none of us received an early copy to review.
His experience with role-playing games and his reputation have allowed him to gain the trust of audiences, so the lack of review copy is interesting and suspicious of BioWare’s attempts to avoid criticism in the early stages of development.
BioWare’s marketing strategy is aimed at creating a positive impression, but restricting access to reviews can have the opposite effect. Dissatisfaction among reviewers and fans may increase, especially if more authors publicly say their ideas have been ignored.