So, just to get everything straight.... If I'm remembering right, the previous versions of 'Dragon Age: Dreadwolf' were:
- 2015: Codename "Joplin", (revision 1) - more narrative-focused single-player game without as much focus on open world [scrapped]
- 2018: Codename "Morrison", (revision 2) - live service incorporated game with elements from the development of Anthem [reworked]
- 2021: Codename "Morrison", (revision 3) - the current single-player action RPG with gameplay perhaps inspired by God of War [current]
Trying to put myself in the shoes of a studio like modern BioWare, that is likely aiming to chase major industry trends, hyped big hits, cinematic games, etc, I would guess some of the big talking points for fantasy games, before and during development, have been Dark Souls (2011), Skyrim (2011), The Witcher 3 (2015), God of War (2018), Eldin Ring (2022), and Baldur's Gate III (2023). I doubt Breath of the Wild (2017) was much of an influence on a company, as bioWare don't make physical games, but those others are likely the goalpost when a company like this talks about stuff at staff meetings.
People have mentioned that 'Dragon Age: Dreadwolf' chasing Bethesda's formula "wide as an ocean, shallow as a sea". It's possible that they were trying for 'The Witcher 3' originally, as it launched around the time development started, and was clearing up every GOTY award.