Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Community Update Details Skill Tree Design

BioWare has released its first community update blog of 2023, diving into the world of game design and giving us a peek at what that looks like for the Dragon Age: Dreadwolf team. The blog clarifies the different roles of designers, explaining how they impact the game’s journey from concept to a complete product, as well as the collaboration that goes into implementing design decisions. Most importantly, the update details the design philosophy behind the creation of Dreadwolf’s class and tree system.

Though what we see in the blog are early designs, it’s still fascinating to see the team’s approach to skill progression and class customisation. Systems designer Luke Barrett says that the skill tree aims to give players many choices and customisations, allowing you to reach your “player fantasy” as well as giving you the knowledge you need to pre-plan and create a variety of viable builds with the freedom of non-linear progression. The team is also designing features with RPG enthusiasts in mind, such as a detailed stats page to reference as you build your character. Ultimately, progression is meant to feel meaningful with every purchased node rather than purchasing lacklustre skills just to make your way to a specific skill down the tree.

We also get a visual look at an early iteration of the skill tree, which showcases colour-coded branches. “It was very important to us that the fantasy of playing a certain class and the customisation options would come across clearly and at a glance without overwhelming the player,” says UX designer Bruno Porrio. While the blog teases that there is a finalised design of the skill tree, we’ll have to wait to see it.

The absence of an official gameplay trailer leaves many Dragon Age fans eager for more, but the possibility of multi-class builds and a progression system designed around freedom is definitely exciting. We don’t know when Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will officially launch. Hopefully, the BioWare team will be ready to show us more soon.