Rumor: Next Dragon Age Installment to Feature Multiplayer

I would take this with more than a grain of salt but Kotaku is reporting that according to an “insider” the next Dragon Age installment is going to feature multiplayer, in the form of an arena mode that features both PvE and PvP elements.

Apparently, dragons will also be playable in Dragon Age multiplayer, giving players the chance to go head-to-head with foes in fire-breathing, swooping-through-the-air dragon form.

The insider wasn’t sure if Dragon Age multiplayer was going to be part of a full, stand-alone title (ala Dragon Age 3) or available separately as a downloadable game. It is apparently being developed on DICE’s Frostbite 2 game engine (used for Battlefield 3), and even early-on the game apparently looks stunning.

The multiplayer is supposedly an arena-based affair and features player versus environment (PvE) elements as well as player versus player (PvP), as well as humans fighting dragons. Details on what PvE battles entail are scant.

The rumor seems already difficult to believe by itself, but a change in engine too? I personally can’t see it happening.