Metacritic, the popular review aggregation site, has responded to the ongoing review bombing targeting Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare’s latest entry in the acclaimed fantasy RPG series. The controversy centers on some fans’ negative reactions to the game’s inclusive content, with characters and themes that explore gender identity and diversity. Despite the critical consensus rating of 84 on Metacritic, the game’s user score has dropped to a stark 3.8 out of 10, with a large volume of recent user reviews citing dissatisfaction with what they describe as “woke” content.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a high-profile addition to the beloved Dragon Age franchise, has introduced characters that represent a range of identities, which has sparked significant online debate. A non-binary companion character and the option for the protagonist, Rook, to identify as transgender have been key points of contention. Reviewers who scored the game poorly often voiced opposition to these inclusions, with complaints focused on what they described as overtly political themes and “agenda-pushing.” Examples of these critiques include zero out of 10 ratings citing “woke” elements as detrimental to the gameplay experience, with some users expressing concern over perceived censorship and repeat moderation actions.
In contrast to Metacritic’s user score, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has maintained a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, which requires a minimum of two hours of gameplay before users can post a review. This discrepancy highlights a significant divide between platforms that mandate gameplay experience and those that allow immediate user commentary. With over 13,000 reviews on Steam as recently, the game appears to resonate more positively among players actively engaging with its content.
In response to the backlash and the sharp decline in user ratings, a spokesperson for Metacritic’s parent company, Fandom, issued a statement to Eurogamer. Acknowledging the “place of belonging for all fans” that the platform aims to provide, the spokesperson emphasized the seriousness with which Metacritic handles reports of offensive language and targeted abuse. “We take online trust and safety very seriously across all our sites including Metacritic,” the spokesperson stated, noting that their moderation system is in place to address any violations of the platform’s terms of use. Reports of abusive language, including racial, sexist, or homophobic comments, are reviewed by the Metacritic team, and any reviews deemed in violation are removed accordingly.
Dragon Age The Veilguard is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S|X.
