As a franchise, Dragon Age has always been in a state of flux. From game to game, players have moved from one location to another, have seen differing styles of gameplay, and had character creation limited and expanded in different ways. One thing that has remained constant are the core classes (though, again, specializations have changed from game to game). Ever since Dragon Age: Origins, players have had the standard array of Warrior, Rogue, or Mage to choose from, but recent concept art may suggest this is changing come Dragon Age 4.
On Friday, BioWare's Christian Dailey shared new Dragon Age 4 concept art, which may or may not prove to be a companion. This isn't the first showing of a stylized magic-oriented archer, as the Gamescom teaser also included concept art of it and the Game Awards 2020 teaser showed another, clearly different character with the same capabilities. This emphasis on said character type means they likely play a big role in the next game, with this particular character potentially being romanceable (due to the heart emoji seen below). Again, that much is tinfoil hat territory, but seeing these magic bow and arrows begs a big question.
Dragon Age 4 Concept Art: Rogue or Mage?
On the one hand, it's possible that the above character is just a rogue with a magic bow, yet this is an oddly specific style of magic that has appeared in prior concept art. Based on this, it seems the manipulation of Earth to create these magic stones, or the like, is something fans can expect to see in Dragon Age 4 gameplay. This would also arguably removed the potential of this character just being a rogue; at the same time, prior concept art (seen below) shows this character manipulating these stones to erect a barrier, potentially teasing this style of character as a mage.
It's also possible that this character isn't just an NPC ally, an enemy, or something of the like; however, given the emphasis once again, it would seem unlikely that so much emphasis is added to a character who doesn't have some implications for the game, its companion, or perhaps even the main character.
Dragon Age 4: When in Tevinter...
Obviously, with Dragon Age 4 all but confirmed to take place in Tevinter, an abundance of mages is to be expected. But if a mage can erect a barrier and if a mage can summon a bow, this turns the question to what mages can or can't do. These two styles of gameplay may, in turn, make classes like Warrior and Rogue lackluster, but this itself presents a huge possibility in terms of the classes and the Dragon Age 4 protagonist.
Every game thus far has had characters closely connected to the game's setting. No matter which origin is chosen in the first game, for example, the player is from Ferelden (or some part of it, such as the Deep Roads). In Dragon Age 2, Hawke is indeed fleeing Ferelden but is also returning to an ancestral home; in Dragon Age Inquisition, the character backgrounds may just be a little noise on the War Table, but they all somehow tie into the events taking place with Orlais and Ferelden. As such, assuming the Dragon Age 4 protagonist is Tevinter isn't a stretch, and if the protagonist is Tevinter in name and blood, then magic is basically a birthright.
This could mean that, regardless of class, the Dragon Age 4 protagonist could be capable of some level of magic. Sure, this could be delegated to the game's specialization system, but the old "when in Rome" adage may also apply itself to Tevinter. As such, rogues with magical bows and ranged abilities could be common, tanky or powerful warriors may embrace or deny their innate magic, and mages wouldn't suddenly be more powerful or have better roleplaying opportunities to other classes if magic played a key role in all of them. For player's agency sake, it wouldn't likely be forced, but with how it has been presented so far, it wouldn't be surprising to see players "have no power" by just being any other old mage in Tevinter.
Of course, this is all speculation and remains to be seen, but if everything shown so far proves anything, it's that Dragon Age 4 may have some serious tricks up it sleeve.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.