Summary
While previous comments implied that players would be able to romance companions inDragon Age: The Veilguardregardless of gender, creative director John Epler confirms that the entire cast in the newDragon Agetitle is canonically pansexual. As befits the new name,Dragon Age: The Veilguardseeks to place an emphasis on its characters in a way that hasn’t been done by BioWare sinceMass Effect 2. Each companion belongs to a specific faction that operates in northern Thedas, and they all have a role to play in the overarching story ofThe Veilguard.
Romance has always played a key role in BioWare games, and the developers were keen to push the envelope on same-sex romances very early on. Characters such as Juhani, Sky, and Liara were trailblazers in their time, whileDragon Age 2introduced an approach to video game romance that is still debated to this day. Thecompanions in the secondDragon Agetitlewere available as romantic partners for Hawke, regardless of gender. Some praised the amount of role-playing options this approach opened up, while others argued stripping the companions of a sexual orientation made for poorer characterization.
John Epler, the creative director for theDragon Agefranchise, revealed the following during Game Rant’s preview ofThe Veilguard: “There’s a difference between playersexual and pansexual. All companions are canonically pansexual.” This effectively confirms that thecast inDragon Age: The Veilguardwill not only be romantically available to all Rooks, but also that their sexuality won’t necessarily revolve around the player character either, as was the case with Hawke.
All Dragon Age: The Veilguard Companions Are Pansexual
While the comparisons withDragon Age 2are obvious, theromance options inThe Veilguardhave more in common withBaldur’s Gate 3, whose companions are similarly pansexual, and whose orientation doesn’t adhere to the player’s gender. Players will be able to engage in conversation with their companions at the Lighthouse, which serves as a base of operations inDragon Age: The Veilguard.
“There’s a difference between playersexual and pansexual. All companions are canonically pansexual.” – John Epler
Much like the Inquisitor, players will be able to create their Rook as either a human, elf, dwarf, or qunari. Unlike the Inquisitor, they will also be able to set a separate background for Rook that isn’t tied to any race. Since these backgrounds align with thefactions ofThe Veilguard’s companions, it’s extremely likely that this choice will unlock special dialogue with certain party members, either at the Lighthouse or beyond. Players can experience a brand-new adventure in Thedas in Fall 2024, whenDragon Age: The Veilguardis expected to launch.
