BioWare's Mass Effect Legendary Edition packages together all three of the Mass Effect trilogy's games along with almost every DLC and a host of updates, including a new photo mode and various gameplay improvements. But Mass Effect Legendary Edition is also taking away some of the series' original features - Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode has been removed, and the controversial original ending to the trilogy has been replaced with the Extended Cut edition. Is it possible that this change could be setting up another Mass Effect sequel, possibly the one which was teased with Liara?
When it was originally released, the ending of Mass Effect 3 was highly divisive among fans of the series. Many players felt that there wasn't sufficient closure to wrap up the trilogy, or they felt railroaded by rushed and meaningless choices near the climax of the game. The Extended Cut version of Mass Effect 3's ending was released afterwards in response, adding more context and a more satisfying conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy's end.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will not include any option to view the original ending of the trilogy. Instead, all players will be presented with the Extended Cut version of events, effectively making it the canon conclusion of the series. Some fans are wondering if this choice is, in part, an opening for BioWare to pave the way for another Mass Effect sequel - the last of which was Mass Effect: Andromeda, released in 2017.
What Legendary Edition's Mass Effect 3 Ending Means For The Series
Despite its place in the franchise, Andromeda is not a standard sequel to the Mass Effect trilogy, taking place in a different galaxy with little connection to the events and characters of the original games. Andromeda also received mixed reception upon release, in part due to gameplay and visual bugs and in part due to the lack of connection to the other games in the series. This lead many fans to wonder if the Mass Effect series would ever see additional releases. With the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which aims to breathe new life into the original three games of the franchise, it's possible BioWare is using this collection as a way to gauge interest (and possibly monitoring player responses) for the eventual release of a Mass Effect 4.
While Legendary Edition's ending to Mass Effect 3 doesn't change much as far as the series' overall conclusion goes - Extended Cut was already available for most players to experience as early as five years before Andromeda was released - the decision to make it the sole canon experience in Mass Effect Legendary Edition does raise some questions. This provides a more clear-cut canon conclusion to the trilogy, and while it doesn't necessarily mean that Shepard's story will continue, it could open the door to exploring the galaxy after the conclusion of Mass Effect 3 or allow players to return to visit familiar characters and locations, like those seen in Mass Effect's 4's brief trailer.
At the moment, it seems unlikely that Mass Effect Legendary Edition's ending itself will be setting up the next sequel in the franchise - but BioWare is taking the opportunity to continue the story of the series anyway, and it's possible it will attempt to give both a canon ending to Mass Effect 3 as well as tie in some of the events of Mass Effect: Andromeda to bring the franchise together.