BioWare has announced that the Dragon Age II development team has now begun to focus on the future of the franchise, presumably meaning the work is now underway on the next entry in the popular RPG franchise.
In a post on the BioWare Social Network, Dragon Age II executive producer Mark Darrah revealed the latest patch would be the last major update to the game.
"While we will still be keeping an eye out for any issues that might crop up in DAII and supporting the community should any emergencies should arise, we’re moving the entire team’s focus to the next phase of Dragon Age’s future," the statement reads
"You’ve most certainly heard the rumors floating around, and unfortunately I can’t really comment on them. However, what I can say is that we’ve been thinking a lot about Dragon Age – what it means, and where it could go. This past year, we’ve spent a lot of time both going back to the 'BioWare vault' of games and re-examining them, and looking at some new possibilities that today’s industry allows."
On his Twitter account, Darrah also revealed the the team had once intended to create more DLC for Dragon Age II, but the project was shelved while it was still in the planning phase. "We did have plans for an expansion pack to DA2," he tweeted, "but other DA opportunities came up. There were even shirts! It was called Exalted March."
At the moment, it's not entirely clear where the Dragon Age franchise is heading. Darrah's comments about the "new possiblities" that the modern gaming industry allows could mean that an MMO is in the works, as BioWare has already seen success with The Old Republic.
On the other hand, the remark could be in reference to an earlier rumor that the next entry in the Dragon Age franchise would feature arena-based multiplayer, which would make the next step for the team the expected (but still unannounced) Dragon Age III.
No matter what the future holds, something tells me BioWare is going to be spending a whole lot of time on the ending.
