Dragon Age Dreadwolf Leaks May Reveal Surprising Combat Details

"Dragon Age: Dreadwolf," also known as "Dragon Age 4," takes inspiration from surprising sources that may lead to a drastic change from what fans are used to for its combat system. A Redditor shared what they learned from alleged leaked gameplay in a now-trending post in the "Dragon Age" subreddit. They wrote the post in response to a recent article on Insider Gaming, led by industry insider Tom Henderson. The Redditor received the footage from an unnamed playtester but opted to keep their identity private to protect the source. 

OP only shared short gameplay snippets in their post, and even removed those after the post became popular. The 20-minute gameplay video focused on one dungeon from the existing alpha, a major production milestone that the development team hit in October 2022. In it, the Redditor describes the rumored hack-and-slash action that apparently took inspiration from "God of War" (2018). Players have their combos, abilities, and a gauge that enables the player to pull off a special move when it's filled. 

Insider Gaming compared the "combat wheel" to the one in "Final Fantasy 15," but OP didn't see the resemblance. "It's standard Dragon Age ability wheel," they wrote in their post.

Here are a few other points where Insider Gaming and OP align on "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf" leaks, Including one detail that may alarm longtime "Dragon Age" fans.

The "Dragon Age" Reddit leaker suggested that players wouldn't be able to directly control party members but may be able to execute certain spells or give commands. Insider Gaming said the same, reporting that players would only being able to "select the ability [party members] can cast." Both sources highlight that this is only what's currently possible in the alpha, though, so it could change in later iterations. Previously, "Dragon Age" titles have allowed players to choose which party member they want to control at any given moment.

In January 2023, Bloomberg reported that "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf" had shifted from a multiplayer to single-player experience at some point in its development. It attributed the change to a recent EA "multiplayer flop" that discouraged the team from taking the same direction with "Dreadwolf." According to Insider Gaming, some of these multiplayer components have been reworked into the current build of the game. One Insider Gaming source said that the game "felt a bit like a Destiny central hub," where you keep recruits and gear up before missions.

Now, leaks are always subject to change, and it's nearly impossible to confirm if they're real or not unless you have insider sources of your own. That being said, at least two sources aligning on the same information could mean the rumors are true, especially if the two sources aren't in direct contact with each other.