Thank the Maker - Dragon Age: The Veilguard won't include pesky account linking or pricey microtransactions

Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay cutscene screenshot showing Neve Gallus, a human mage woman wearing a black cap with a lace veil
(Image credit: BioWare)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the RPG gift that just keeps on giving, as BioWare reveals that its upcoming title will offer a pure offline single-player experience - without account linking or microtransactions in the way.

It's official - Dragon Age fans don't need to worry about surprise in-game fees or mandatory account linking while playing The Veilguard this fall. In a recent interview with IGN, game director Corinne Busche explains that yes, the beloved series' fourth entry is indeed free of any microtransactions and remains true to the single-player RPG experience longtime fans expect to get - one that doesn't require them to connect their Steam account (or otherwise) with an EA user.

The developer's statement comes during a discussion regarding the confirmation that players' choices in Inquisition carry over to The Veilguard and its character creator. As Busche says that the ability for fans to import their Inquisitor's appearance and history is "fully integrated" this time around, she clarifies that this doesn't mean account linking of any sort is necessary. More surprisingly, it apparently doesn't involve any save file reading either.

"The technology is so different and we wanted it to be in the client," the director explains. It's exciting, to say the least - and, if the lack of account linking or microtransactions seems too good to be true, it's not. One lucky early player confirms Busche's words, saying that The Veilguard "will NOT" have any microtransactions at all. Instead, "you’re encouraged to explore and grind for stronger weapons and gear, so your stats and cosmetics improve the further you get into the game" - phew.

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Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.