This DLC will come in a special way to the Dragon Age franchise, as it will be something that the team has never done before: an epilogue. Specifically, it will take place 2 years after the main game, adding a brand new adventure.
So what do you do with a world-saving organization in a world that doesn’t need any more saving?
Mike Laidlaw, Creative Director for Dragon Age, describes it this way:
Based on sneak peaks from the trailer, we can make a few more deductions about what is ultimately going to come out of this DLC.
This “new threat” will be the Qunari.
There hasn’t been much released on the Qunari’s threat, other than the fact that they made an invasive move, and it’s time to reunite your team to stop them. The Qunari are also using the Eluvians to fulfill their plans.
Because of their immediate threat, this will ultimately cause different reactions from different characters, even some that might not usually have been accessible to players after completing the main storyline.
During an interview at PAX Prime, Laidlaw mentions that some of such characters, such as those who became Divine, might call it the last straw and join in on the battle, regardless of Divinity.
This allows for any special characters that players liked during their adventures will become available again. It hasn’t yet been confirmed if this is the case for all sorts of character limitations.
The Eluvian Mirrors play a major role.
The Qunari are using the Eluvians to invade and attack. However, so are you and your team as you go place to place, trying to plot their next move.
In the same interview as previously mentioned, Laidlaw also pointed out a few key factors to the game involving the Eluvians:
There will be new locations. They’re actually old locations, but the ancient areas are new to you. Player characters start at the Winter Palace, but all the places you venture to will be “completely new, and completely constructed to tell the Trespasser story.”
But why call the DLC Trespasser? Well, simply put, that’s you. You will be entering worlds that haven’t been touched for thousands of years, trespassing as you go.
Laidlaw hinted at additional meanings, but that’s what we have for now. Everything is meant to unfold during gameplay.
Solas returns
Mike Laidlaw has already trampled on any fan’s dreams for those who think the epilogue will be about Solas. He might be a fan favorite, but his appearance in the game is as much and as little of a return as the other characters.
Will there be more Solas story? Yes, but it’s not just Solas. You will understand his situation and his story in a more developed way, but his entire story is “too complicated” for fans to expect a complete wrap-up in this DLC.
Seeing how things turned out for Solas is just as much a part of the adventure as seeing how things turned out for Blackwall – it’s just that his plays out differently from the others.
It is also unconfirmed that Solas will be able to join the party. For now he is strictly a character that makes an appearance. Once again, Solas is a complicated fellow. He will just get more story than he had before, completely fair game like the others.
However, there are hints toward using Solas and his story to explore any potential future Dragon Age games that may come down the line. And to stop the hype train before it starts, no future Dragon Age games are confirmed or in the works. Laidlaw and his team just end their games by thinking ahead.
The fate of the Inquisition is on your shoulders.
What happens to you? The Inquisition? That’s all up to you and your gameplay.
There’s a bit of political tension between the Inquisition and Thedas. These established views in Thedas politics are exactly why the DLC is 2 years later.
The people believe that with your weapon still around and their moment of peace, you might bring back more war and destruction. It’s a rational thought - you formed a militant organization to stop the crisis. The crisis is over, so the organization is no longer needed, right? But what about future threats?
Oh, right, then the Qunari attack.
There will be a lot of choices that have to be made, and some big questions you’ll have to answer:
How do you approach the Qunari threat? How do you approach oppositions of the Inquisition within Thedas? Do you disband? Or remain united?
Catching up with friends and stopping the crisis brings about the true ending to your story. Dragon Age: Inquisition doesn’t end at the main game rolling credits. It all ends with Trespasser.
That said, this DLC can only be played if gamers have fully completed the Dragon Age: Inquisition main game storyline with at least one of their characters. So, make sure you have a post-game save.
This will be the third and final DLC for the Dragon Age: Inquisition installment, after Jaws of Hakkon and The Descent.
Dragon Age: Inquisition: Trespasser will be released September 8th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.