Speaking to GameInformer BioWare creative director Mike Laidlaw said the decision to have multiple player races in Dragon Age: Inquisition came about because of the game's year long delay and was "100 per cent" inspired by player feedback.
While BioWare never announced their original release window we know the game will be launched in Autumn 2014.
“Because we moved the date we were able to bring it back,” executive producer Mark Darrah explained. “We basically just had the time necessary to bring it back.”
Commenting on the decision to delay Laidlaw said: “Why didn’t we bring it up? We wanted to make sure it was locked down; we wanted to make sure our homework was done so we could commit to it and people could, with absolute enthusiasm, get ready for elf or dwarf or whatever.”
The original game in the series, Origins, allowed players to choose to play as an elf, dwarf or human however Dragon Age 2 had only the male or female version of a human protagonist named Hawke.
Origins' Morrigan will not be a party member in the game despite playing "a significant role" and it has not yet been confirmed if Varric and Cassandra will be team members or cameo stars.