LogInStudios saying they are working on a game does not always mean they actually are.
I don't know about you, but I have wondered why Overwatch 2 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard were announced so early. To me, waiting for years kills the excitement, but there is a reason why companies reveal games so early, sometimes even before they start any meaningful work on them.
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah shared some insights in his video called Why Do AAA Games Take So Long? also explaining why we hear about them much sooner than we see them. Apparently, some developers are just scared of their game being canceled – a popular trend nowadays.
"It might be because the publisher’s slate is a little weak, and they want the public to remember it still has important games in its back pocket. It might be because the studio wants the game announced because they’re worried the publisher might kill it otherwise," Darrah said (via Insider Gaming.)
BioWare | Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Darrah himself doesn't think it's the best strategy to build hype around the game most of the time. He also mentioned that all those trailers and words about working on a title don't always mean the studio is actually developing it, and this state can last for several years. They might not even have enough workforce but they need to stay in the spotlight.
"So they’re giving the impression that this is parallel development, that the team is working on this game, when in fact it’s a few people having a few meetings, and not much is being done."
As for other reasons for long development cycles, Darrah mentions the game's size, players being more critical, crunch culture, and my favorite: "because they can."
After a decade without the franchise, we will finally see Dragon Age: The Veilguard this fall, with Darrah acting as a consultant, and I'm looking forward to it.
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