Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has some big shoes to fill, especially considering BioWare has given fans nearly a decade to think about their hopes for the anticipated sequel. BioWare is going to have to pull out all the stops if it wants Dragon Age: Dreadwolf to be a worthy successor to one of its most lucrative properties, especially following the failure of Anthem.
This upcoming entry promises to take fans to the land of Tevinter. It will be the first time the games have showcased this location, but Tevinter has been featured in other Dragon Age properties, such as in the collection of stories in Tevinter Nights, the Netflix series Dragon Age: Absolution, and several comic book series. While that offers a foundation to build from, Dreadwolf has a lot of hopes riding upon it that BioWare should capitalize on.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Needs a Living City
Several trailers have thus far showcased Tevinter's capital city of Minrathous. Minrathous is Thedas' oldest city, home to the Black Divine and the center of power in Tevinter. It's all but guaranteed that at least some of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will take place in Minrathous, and as the game's probable main hub area, it cannot be another Val Royeaux - where the city begins and ends as a single town square with a couple of shops and NPCs.
Minrathous needs to meet expectations as the magical capital of Thedas; a living, dynamic city. It should change dynamically based on player decisions and story beats, but just feeling like a place that's 1,000-years old like Novigrad or Beauclair in The Witcher 3 would be a massive step-up.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Should Give the Executors Their Due
The Executors are mentioned in Dragon Age: Inquisition during the war table mission "Unmask 'Those Across the Sea,'" but they had a more prominent role in the Tevinter Nights story "The Dread Wolf Take You." Here, an Executor is present and notably speaks in italics, but Solas immediately kills the Executor and warns Inquisitor agent Charter to be careful of the group.
Little else is known about them, but the fact that Executors have been mentioned since Inquisition (with particular mentions by Solas) could be an indication that they'll appear in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. As they're a rogue third-party with unknown motivations, they could prove to be allies in the fight against the Dread Wolf.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Should Finally Face the Evanuris
BioWare has been dropping tantalizing hints of the Evanuris all over the place, including in developer video updates and canon content such as "The Horror of Hormak" story in Tevinter Nights. Both of these featured Ghilan'nain, the Goddess of the Halla. While the Goddess of the Halla might not sound particularly scary, evidence suggests she was a mad scientist who fused creatures into monsters - even combining elves with animals.
Ghilan'nain is associated with the ocean thanks to her briny saltwater solutions and ocean monsters, typically depicted as insectoid and monstrous in her own right. In one Dreadwolf developer video, the party is shown battling her in concept art. A showdown with Ghilain'nain would highlight the horrors of the Evanuris, and give the player more of an understanding why Solas sealed them away.
Players Need a Resolution to Dreadwolf's Main Antagonist Drama
The reveal of Solas as the Dread Wolf changed the face of Dragon Age forever. It shook up the lore and history of Thedas, created new factions, and brought powerful organizations to their knees. The setup is there, so now BioWare needs to wrap up the Solas story satisfyingly through Dreadwolf, especially after making fans wait an entire decade. The conclusion needs to be more nuanced than simply killing Solas.
As Solas said in Trespasser, "The first of my people do not die so easily." While there are hints that Solas is not one of the first of the People, as a member of the Evanuris those same rules may still apply to him, especially as he is functionally immortal. Killing Solas, especially for those who romanced him in earlier games, would be unfulfilling emotionally. A greater pay-off would be a different path, whether that path be toward redemption or something more creative.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.