Should you pick Neve or Harding to stop the ritual in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Once the action picks up early in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you'll be rushing in to stop Solas from completing a ritual. It's in this chaos that the game presents you with one of the most significant early choices. You have to choose Neve or Harding, but that choice will have a permanent effect on those characters in Veilguard.

Should you choose Neve or Harding to break the statue in Veilguard?

With each moment, Solas draws closer to completing his ritual and potentially causing the death of thousands. When the idea of breaking the scaffolding and sending one statue tumbling to the ground is brought up, your Veilguard companions give you the first major choice you'll have to make as a leader.

It'll take two of you to knock that statue down, but you can only bring one ally on that mission. The other will instead stay behind keeping the demons off Varric. If you're worried about losing a companion early, rest assured that Neve and Harding will survive this regardless of who you select.

However, your choice will be permanently injured. In the statue collapse, either Neve or Harding will be hurt by debris causing major bruising and cuts across their face. Those won't heal right away and do linger until several more hours into Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Eventually, the most visible injuries will heal up. However, that character will be permanently scarred. The visual of it varies slightly between Neve and Harding, but at least some scarring around their forehead and face will remain.

In the short term, you also benefit from the fact that your chosen ally greatly approves of this decision. If you're already eying a potential romance with Neve or Harding, choosing one will give you a head start on growing that bond toward a more concrete relationship.  This will be the first of many adventures with both companions, but your first Dragon Age: The Veilguard decision will not be forgotten.