Dragon Age: The Veilguard allows several parts of combat difficulty to be adjusted independently. Players can change timing demands, enemy aggression, damage, health, resistance, vulnerability, aiming assistance, and whether the player character can die.
These settings are available through the Unbound difficulty option. Some combat controls can also be adjusted after selecting another difficulty preset.
Difficulty Presets and Unbound Mode
The game includes Storyteller, Keeper, Adventurer, Underdog, Nightmare, and Unbound options. The first five provide predefined combinations of combat settings, while Unbound allows individual customization.
Nightmare is an exception to the usual flexibility. Once a playthrough begins on Nightmare, its difficulty cannot be changed without starting a new playthrough.
Combat Timing
Combat Timing changes the reaction windows associated with defensive actions such as parrying. A more forgiving setting gives players additional time to recognize an incoming attack and respond.
This does not slow the entire game or pause enemies during combat. Optional finisher moves and particular attack combinations may still involve faster or sequential inputs.
Enemy Aggression
Enemy Aggression changes how frequently and forcefully enemies pressure the player. Lower aggression can create more space between attacks without necessarily reducing enemy health or damage.
This is separate from the number of enemies present in an encounter. It should not be interpreted as a control for removing particular enemy types or reducing every form of visual and auditory activity during combat.
Enemy Damage and Health
Enemy Damage controls how much health the player loses when struck. Enemy Health controls how much damage enemies can absorb before being defeated.
Adjusting these independently allows players to shorten encounters without necessarily reducing the consequences of being hit. Alternatively, incoming damage can be reduced while enemies retain more health.
Resistance and Vulnerability
Enemy Resistance affects how strongly enemies resist particular forms of damage. Enemy Vulnerability changes the effectiveness of attacks against enemy weaknesses.
These settings affect the game’s damage relationships rather than removing the resistance and vulnerability systems. Players may still need to consider equipment, abilities, elemental effects, and enemy characteristics.
Aim Assist and Aim Snap
Aim Assist provides additional support when aiming at targets. Aim Snap moves the aim toward a target when aiming begins.
These options can reduce some precision demands, but they do not automate every attack or guarantee selection of the player’s intended enemy when several targets are close together.
Prevent Death
Prevent Death stops the player character from dying during combat. It can allow continued story progression without repeated restarts after the player’s health is depleted.
The setting does not remove combat encounters or perform attacks automatically. Players must still participate in battles, use abilities, manage companions, and complete other required actions.
Related Input and Combat Information
The ability wheel can be changed from hold activation to tap activation. Various interface holds can also be replaced with taps, and the game does not contain traditional quick-time events.
Incoming melee attacks can be shown through a halo around the player character, while ranged attacks use a directional visual indicator. Optional accessibility sound effects provide additional feedback for incoming attacks and target lock-on.
Read the official Dragon Age: The Veilguard accessibility spotlight for the complete settings list.
Access needs and preferences vary. Granular combat controls can reduce particular barriers, but they do not guarantee that every encounter, input sequence, or visual effect will meet an individual player’s needs.
Last verified: August 3, 2026.