A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

Former Dragon Age Lead Writer David Gaider admitted that Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s “art style leaves me cold” after previously bashing gamers who criticized the game’s character designs.

A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare

Over on Blue Sky, Gaider posted on October 14th, “‘THe FeMaLEs aRen’T hOt EnOUgh!’” Yet because they’ve clued into the notion this is obviously incel behaviour, they’ve swapped out “unattractive” for “masculine” and thus “transgender” because that’s a framing which makes them seem political instead of porn-brained. But we all know what they mean.”

He added in a subsequent post, “And here I am, recalling how this has been a thing ever since some dude whined 10 years ago about Cassandra actually being a man, posting over and over and over about her GiAnT jAw and posting phrenology pics to scientifically prove why his pee-pee remained flaccid.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

However, just a day later Gaider admitted the art style of Veilguard “made me cold” while he discussed whether or not he would purchase and play the game.

First, he wrote, “A question I’ve received frequently, as of late: ‘Will you be playing the new Dragon Age?’ Asked with a degree of, I don’t know, anticipation? Like this is something I’d do covertly, to spite the current team. Or out of interest in hearing my True and Honest Thoughts. My answer: ‘It’s complicated.’”

He explained, “Honestly, I don’t think I can play and enjoy the game like other fans play and enjoy the game. Not ever. On one hand, it’d be fun to play my 1st DA game post-release without seeing all the compromises and cuts and disappointments from years of development. On the other, it’s my baby. It’s moved on.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

He then admitted that the art style leaves him cold, “Do I like everything I see? Not really. The art style leaves me a bit cold, but then the art style has changed with every DA and, as before, I’m sure I’ll warm to it eventually. The gameplay has changed. The news on choices from previous games gives me pause. None of this would stop me, however.”

From there, he said there were a lot to love, but he only mentions one, which is the locations he once dreamed of have become reality, “That’s because there’s a lot I see which I do love. To go to these places I once dreamed of and finally see them there in all their glory? How cool is that? I have every confidence in Patrick and their writers to enthrall the fans and provide a worthy next chapter. Not a single doubt on that front.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

Next, he admitted what would stop him from playing the game, “So what’d stop me? Ego, probably. If I love it, I know a selfish part of me will ache that I wasn’t part of it. And if there are parts I don’t love, a part of me will wonder how it Might Have Been… so completely unfair to the team, not to mention ludicrous considering I’ve been away 8 years now.”

“If I get it on release, it’d probably be so I’d have something to distract me while the US inevitably self-immolates in November,” he said. “Chances are I won’t. That’s no slight to the team, who I wish every success and kudo possible. I know the road to now was paved with horrors, so they deserve it all.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

Nevertheless, on October 17th, Gaider accused the people who also take issue with the character designs of being “incels” and “chuds.”

Gaider wrote, “I’m in the process of finally shutting down my Twitter account, and yet I noticed a fresh spate of angry mnetions there… these more clueless than the last. What could have…? Ah. I mentioned incels, so who should take notice but their sweaty-palmed, self-declared emotional support animal.”

He added in a subsequent post, “I guess this also means a fresh bunch of chuds wandering over here to make fresh accounts just to object. The clever thing to do, you’d think, when incels are mentioned but you aren’t named would be to not stand and identify yourself. But identities are important, I guess, it’s true.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

Gaider is the perfect example of what has happened to modern entertainment as described by science fiction novelist Isaac Young. He detailed in a video uploaded to X, “The problem is that there is no longer anything behind Hollywood’s politics, only power and those who wield it. There is no religious piety, no transcendental belief, no ideas of right and wrong, no vision of the future, no philosophy, no history, no metaphysics, no style nor substance, no reckoning with God, or Hell, or hope, or fear, or love, or death. Not one honest belief that is anything other than, ‘You’re a racist and so we deserve to be in charge.’”

Young continued, “The great gods of identity politics only exist to serve the Left’s material desires and will incarnate to whatever form that best serves that task,” he continued. “This is why every historical figure was secretly gay and also black as well. This is why women eternally oppressed by the patriarchy, but men are also women. This is why no how hard conservatives yell, ‘Hypocrites!’ no leftist will ever change his/her/its mind about anything.”

He later added, “It can’t say anything substantive because that would pose a threat to itself. To make any claim about the world that does not immediately serve the vulgar desires of its creators is to create a standard which might be turned on them, an alternate view with which someone might voice their objections.”

 

To elucidate this, Gaider recognizes that the new art style makes him feel cold inside. It’s a recognition that he does recognize that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is empty. However, while he recognizes this on some level, he rejects it to tow the party or ideological line and does so by bashing the people who also recognize that the product is empty.

And this is not the first time he has done this. Back in September, he asserted that Dragon Age was always woke, which fits perfectly in Young’s theory. Gaider wrote on Blue Sky, “Apparently the usual suspects are upset at how ‘woke’ the new Dragon Age is, an apparently sudden and unexpected development in the series.”

He added, “F***ing tourists.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

Gaider also responded to one individual asserting that the individuals decrying Dragon Age: The Veilguard as woke are people who gave up on BioWare over a decade ago.

Gaider said, “If they gave up on BioWare a decade ago (or more, for those of whom DAO was “the last good game”) then they were never going to buy the game anyhow. At which point: why should Bio listen to them? “Abandon your fanbase and woo us instead!” …okay, sure Jan.”

David Gaider on Blue Sky

What do you make of Gaider’s comments?