In Short:
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard concept art suggests the possibility of griffons being ridden into combat
- In contrast to the griffons in the game, these creatures are not large enough to be ridden
- The artist mentioned that this concept was only explored during the early “What if” phase of development
During the development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, numerous ideas were modified or discarded.
With the game arriving ten years after its predecessor and after two previous sequel attempts were scrapped, the project experienced extensive revisions, leaving many concepts behind in the process.
BioWare’s lead concept artist, Matt Rhodes, continues to share early design concepts from the game. His most recent piece features a character riding a griffon in an epic battle with a dragon.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Concept Art Reveals a Majestic Adult Griffon
Veilguard
Dragon Hunters
During the "what if" stage, we thought about the role griffins might take. What if griffins and dragons had a mongoose/cobra relationship, and you could use griffins to even the playing field. pic.twitter.com/zyOqhCYQHt— Matt Rhodes (@mattrhodesart) January 10, 2025
This is what Rhodes explains: “During the ‘what if’ phase, we considered the role of griffins. We imagined a scenario where griffins and dragons were natural rivals, like a mongoose versus a cobra, and players could ride griffins to level the field.”
The concept also presents two griffons, large enough to be ridden into battle. While players can summon a Griffon in the final game, it’s restricted to Davrin, who utilizes his young Griffon, Assan, in some of his attacks.
Griffons were earlier thought to be extinct following the Fourth Blight, but in 9:42 Dragon, a few survivors are discovered, setting the stage for their return a decade before the events of The Veilguard.
The griffons were believed to have vanished after the Fourth Blight, but in 9:42 Dragon, a small group of them is found, marking the beginning of their resurgence just ten years before The Veilguard unfolds.
By the time the next game comes around, the griffons will have fully grown. However, fans shouldn’t expect a continuation of The Veilguard anytime soon, as BioWare is focusing on Mass Effect 5.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Dragon Age: The Veilguard marks the long-anticipated fourth installment in BioWare’s renowned fantasy RPG series, initially titled Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
As a direct follow-up to Inquisition, the game explores the mysteries surrounding red lyrium and Solas, the mysterious Dread Wolf.
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