A new adventure awaits for the Dragon Age community, but if there's one thing that's been proven since time immemorial, heroes can rarely succeed alone. Most times they need someone to lean on. This is where our Dragon Age The Veilguard romance guide comes in.
Friendship, romance and the relationships players build has been a key component in Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins first released back in 2008. There's been a fine selection of partners for every player, and while each game has its own way of depicting romance and relationships, there's always been someone who's ride-or-die for their favourite romance option.
In this Dragon Age: The Veilguard romance guide we'll address questions on which characters are romanceable, how romance and sexuality is conveyed this time around, and the latest news about romance. We'll be updating this guide regularly up until the launch, so make sure to check back regularly!
Dragon Age The Veilguard Romance Options
Corresponding with Dragon Age: The Veilguard having seven companions, there will also be several romance options.
These romance options are:
- Bellara - A Veil Jumper who is determined to unveil ancient secrets no matter the consequences.
- Davrin - A Grey Warden turned monster hunter with a pet griffin called Assan. Bold and courageous.
- Emmrich - A necromancer from Nevarra, who is assisted by his skeletal companion, Manfred. Is part of Nevarra's Mourn Watch.
- Harding - Fans of Dragon Age: Inquisition will remember the adorable dwarven scout. This time she returns with some unexpected magic powers to boot.
- Lucanis - A pragmatic assassin who belongs to House of Crows, a criminal organization renowned throughout Dragon Age's world, Thedas.
- Neve - A private detective and a member of Tevinter's rebellious Shadow Dragons. Cynical, but fighting for a better future.
- Taash - A Qunari dragon hunter who is adventurous and determined to take risks. They are allied with the Lords of Fortune.
There may be other romance options available for your protagonist Rook, however they have not yet been revealed.
click to enlargeHow does romance work in Dragon Age The Veilguard?
As we mentioned previously, Dragon Age games all handle romance fairly differently. Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Inquisition had set sexualities, with some characters preferring the other sex or race, in regards to Dragon Age: Inquisition. Dragon Age 2, however, allowed you to romance whoever you wanted. Except Sebastian, who was only interested in a heterosexual romance.
So where does that leave Dragon Age The Veilguard in terms of romance and romance options?
According to an exclusive interview from IGN, General Manager Gary McKay revealed that players could "romance the companions they wanted" in the upcoming game. This implies that players will not be restricted from romancing a character due to not being the right race or gender.
For some, this seems like a complete step back, as characters with defined sexualities feel 'more realistic'. However, others argue it allows more room for player choice, which is ultimately the heart of Dragon Age.
In an interview with Inverse, creative director John Epler confirmed that all of the companions involved in Dragon Age Veilguard are pansexual, not playersexual.
“We have a smaller cast in previous games of seven companions. So player choice becomes paramount,” John Epler tells Inverse. "We wanted to make sure, but it's also there's a difference for us between playersexual and pansexual. Each of these characters is canonically pansexual."
Furthermore, romance is not just for the player character, but the companions too.
"In Dragon Age games, BioWare games, romance is a core part," Epler told Eurogamer. "We wanted to give each character their own flavour, or their own style, of romance. So some characters may be a little more steamy while some characters maybe a little bit more innocent. But for each one, you can build these relationships."
For now, this is all we know about romance in Dragon Age The Veilguard. In the meantime, why not check out our full hub to find out about the latest news for Veilguard, including classes, companions and character creation.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Dragon Age page.