So, it finally happened. After a decade of waiting, theories, and enough developer turnover to make your head spin, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is actually real. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been staring at the Dragon Age pre order page for way too long, wondering if the shiny armor sets are actually worth the extra cash or if you’re just paying for nostalgia.
It’s been a weird road for BioWare. They’ve had some rough patches. Let’s be honest, Anthem was a mess, and Mass Effect: Andromeda had those "my face is tired" memes that still haunt my Twitter feed. But with The Veilguard, the studio seems to be betting the farm on a return to single-player roots. No live service junk. No forced multiplayer. Just you, a party of disaster bi-sexuals, and some very angry elven gods.
When you look at the Dragon Age pre order landscape right now, it’s surprisingly straightforward compared to the nightmare "chart-based" editions we see from companies like Ubisoft or Activision. You’ve basically got the Standard Edition, the Deluxe Edition, and then that massive physical collector’s box that—ironically—doesn't even come with the game.
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What You Get for Committing Early
The core incentive for any Dragon Age pre order across all platforms is the Blood Dragon Armor cosmetic. If you played Origins or Mass Effect 2, you know exactly what this is. It’s iconic. It’s red. It’s got that dragon logo that makes you feel like a tank even if you're playing a squishy mage.
BioWare is making this a "cosmetic only" item this time around. That’s a good move. It means you won’t be overpowered for the first five hours of the game just because you handed over your credit card three months early. You get the look, but you still have to earn the stats. Honestly, I prefer that. Nothing ruins the progression of an RPG faster than starting with "The Sword of a Thousand Truths" at level one.
Breaking Down the Deluxe Edition
If you’re tempted by the Deluxe Edition, you’re looking at an extra twenty bucks. For that, you get a bunch of weapon skins and armor sets for your character, Rook, and your seven companions. Specifically, it’s six weapon appearances for Rook, one warrior armor set, one mage set, and one rogue set. Plus, seven armor appearances and seven weapon appearances for the companions themselves.
Is it worth it? That depends on how much you care about the "fashion-souls" aspect of Dragon Age. In Inquisition, I spent way too much time at the crafting table trying to make sure my party didn't look like a group of circus performers who got lost in a bargain bin. Having a unified, high-quality aesthetic right out of the gate is a nice perk, but it’s purely visual.
The Rook’s Coffer: The Weirdest Piece of Merch
Then we have the "Rook’s Coffer." This is for the hardcore fans. It costs $150 and it is essentially a box of loot. It includes a light-up Lyrium Dagger, a deck of tarot cards featuring the companions, some pins, and a cloth map.
But here’s the kicker: it does not include the game.
This is a growing trend in the industry. It’s weird. I get why they do it—it allows people to buy the digital version of the game and still get the physical collectibles—but it still feels a bit hollow to spend $150 and realize you still need to go to the PlayStation Store or Steam to actually play the thing. If you want the "full" experience, you're looking at over $200. That's a lot of gold.
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Platform Differences and Performance
Whether you’re doing your Dragon Age pre order on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S matters quite a bit for this launch. On PC, BioWare has confirmed that the game is "Steam Native." This is huge. It means you don't have to launch the EA App in the background just to play. For anyone who has wrestled with the EA App’s tendency to crash or forget your login credentials, this is a massive win.
Console players have the usual "Performance" vs. "Fidelity" choices. The game is targeting 60 FPS on the performance mode for PS5 and Series X. Given that the combat in The Veilguard is much more action-oriented and twitch-based than the tactical camera style of Origins, that 60 FPS is going to be pretty much mandatory for a good experience.
Why Some Fans are Hesitant
I’ve talked to a lot of people who are holding off on their Dragon Age pre order. I get it. The art style shift has been controversial. It’s a bit more stylized, a bit more "painterly" than the grittier look of Inquisition. Some people love it; others think it looks a bit too much like a high-end mobile game.
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There’s also the combat. We’ve gone from controlling four characters to only controlling Rook, with the ability to issue commands to companions. It’s the Mass Effect formula applied to fantasy. For the "old guard" who loved the strategic pause-and-play of the first game, this feels like a betrayal. But for those who found Inquisition's combat a bit clunky and "between two worlds," the move to full action might be a relief.
The Realistic Next Steps for Players
If you are on the fence, don't feel pressured by the "limited time" nature of pre-order bonuses. The Blood Dragon armor is cool, but it won't change your life.
- Check the PC Specs: If you’re playing on PC, make sure you have an SSD. BioWare has been very clear that an SSD is mandatory for this game. If you're still running an old HDD, your load times will be abysmal, and you'll likely see significant texture pop-in.
- Wait for the Reviews: The embargo usually drops a few days before launch. BioWare needs this to be a hit, so expect a lot of coverage. If you’re worried about the story quality or the bugs, those first-wave reviews will tell you everything you need to know.
- Consoles vs. PC: If you have a choice, PC offers the most flexibility with mods. Dragon Age has always had a vibrant modding community. From fixing hair textures to "cheating" your way through some of the grinds, the PC version usually has the longest shelf life.
- Physical vs. Digital: If you're a collector, remember that physical copies are becoming increasingly rare. If you want a disc to sit on your shelf, secure that sooner rather than later, as retail stock for single-player RPGs tends to dwindle faster than it used to.
Honestly, the best thing you can do right now is look at your backlog. If you haven't finished Inquisition or the Trespasser DLC, do that first. The Veilguard is a direct sequel to that ending. You’ll be lost without it. Solas is a complicated guy, and you really need to understand why he's trying to tear down the world before you try to stop him.