In a jaw-dropping revelation on his YouTube channel, gaming legend Mark Darrah has shared an exclusive look at the original blueprint for Dragon Age 4 - a vision that never made it to the gamers' hands. This game, codenamed Joplin, was conceived in mid-2016 and showcased in a book distributed within BioWare and EA's higher-ups, aiming to maintain relevance and secure early funding for the project. Darrah highlighted that big publishing organizations often fear cancellation or being starved of resources, leading to the creation of this pitch. The proposed game featured a reactive world, destructible environments, dynamic weather conditions, social interactions beyond standard BioWare conversations, and even heists! Although many of these features would have been trimmed if development proceeded smoothly, it's clear that BioWare aimed to take the series to new heights in terms of immersion. Despite Darrah not disclosing the book's full content, he did share the opening written back in 2016: "Dragon Age: Inquisition has revolutionized the franchise and its perception by the public. Moving forward, we have a fantastic opportunity to build on our success. We will craft a more immersive interactive world with realistic characters. Our work is cut out for us, but never has a Dragon Age game started in a stronger position." Unfortunately, Joplin was eventually scrapped as the series took a detour with Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. The Dragon Age series experienced a freeze after The Veilguard underperformed in sales. As of now, BioWare, once the cornerstone of gaming innovation, has been closed by EA. Fans are rallying to save BioWare's work, particularly the cancelled Mass Effect Universe, but it seems we won't be seeing any Dragon Age developments anytime soon. Rhiannon Bevan, a freelance journalist and RPG enthusiast since 2019, broke this news. She received MCV's Women in Games award in 2025. Follow her gaming escapades on Bluesky at @rhithewitch.