BioWare lead shares secret Dragon Age: The Veilguard screenshot in "unapproved" move - "I hope marketing doesn't see this"

Yesterday's big gameplay reveal of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has left fans hungry for more, and one BioWare developer is happily sharing - with or without permission.

It's a great time to be alive right now for hardened Dragon Age stans, as the decade-long wait for a new fantasy RPG is finally coming to a close with The Veilguard's release this fall. As the hotly anticipated launch draws nearer, BioWare is showing more of the upcoming game off. Thus far, fans have seen a trailer debuting The Veilguard's quirky companions as well as one showcasing combat and live gameplay in action - but that's not all. Today, the community caught a glimpse of something it (perhaps) shouldn't have.

Michael Gamble, one of BioWare's project directors currently leading the next Mass Effect game's development, not-so-sneakily shared a screenshot of The Veilguard. The dev says that the image is in response to players "asking about blood splatter" - and boy, does it capture blood splatter all right. In it, a fountain of blood can be seen gushing from an enemy in a dramatic, explosive manner - the same gruesome one longtime fans of the series may expect. The Dragon Age-esque visuals aren't what stands out most about Gamble's post, though.

It's more so the fact that he openly admits he "took a still" for fans - without actually making sure he had permission to share it publicly. "I hope marketing doesn't see this," Gamble says, admitting that "This is not an approved screenshot." In a follow-up comment, he wonders how the "unapproved screenshot" got "so much traction" so quickly. The official BioWare Twitter caught on, too - leaving a cheeky response under the dev's screenshot consisting only of eye emojis.

I for one would love to see more "unapproved" images pop off on social media - and I'm not alone. The replies under Gamble's not-really-a-leak leak echo a similar sentiment, with some joking that "marketing definitely didn’t see it" so "it should be fine." Others asked directly to sneak a peek at other possible elements of The Veilguard's gameplay, like combat finishers. Gamble's response? Fans will just have to "wait n see."

Dragon Age isn't following in Inquisition's footsteps as The Veilguard won't be open world after all - instead, the devs say the new RPG is "mission-based" to offer "the best narrative experience"