In a bittersweet turn for the Dragon Age franchise, the official companion podcast “Vows & Vengeance” has won the Best Audio/Podcast Award at the prestigious Tribeca Festival. While this win highlights the strength of BioWare’s transmedia storytelling, it also contrasts sharply with the underwhelming reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard itself.
A Surprising Spotlight
Vows & Vengeance, an eight-episode narrative podcast released ahead of the game, offered fans an immersive introduction to the members of the Veilguard. Crafted with compelling performances and atmospheric sound design, the podcast quickly earned praise for its rich worldbuilding—even though it was not developed by BioWare’s core writing team. Instead, it was overseen by John Epler, The Veilguard’s former creative director, who has since moved on to Full Circle Studio, another EA-owned developer.
The podcast’s Tribeca win showcases the strength of the Dragon Age universe in formats beyond gaming, and has sparked renewed interest in the series’ broader lore.
A Bittersweet Victory for BioWare
Despite this success, the game behind the podcast has had a rough journey. After nearly a decade of development, Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched to moderately positive reviews, holding an average score of 80 on OpenCritic. Yet many players and critics voiced disappointment over certain narrative arcs and gameplay design choices.
Electronic Arts reportedly considers the game’s performance a failure, with underwhelming player engagement and unmet sales targets. This disconnect has left the Tribeca win feeling more like a silver lining than a full victory lap.
What’s Next for Dragon Age?
The recognition for Vows & Vengeance proves there is still strong creative energy and audience interest within the Dragon Age IP. It may also encourage EA and BioWare to continue exploring non-game media formats to enrich the franchise—especially if future mainline entries remain uncertain.
As fans await clarity on what’s next, the Tribeca win serves as a reminder of the franchise’s storytelling potential—even when the game doesn’t quite deliver.