The Mass Effect trilogy established a deep and rich mythology for fans to explore throughout its run - and though the response to its ending in 2012 may have been divisive, most agreed that the world itself was unique and interesting. When Mass Effect: Andromeda was eventually announced in June of 2015, many fans wondered what kind of story developer BioWare would choose to tell and how exactly it would fit into the timeline of other entries. There’s now a definitive answer for the latter (the game apparently takes place 600 years after the original games and is not a sequel), yet questions remain pertaining to the former.

The recent trailers released by BioWare do delve into the story of Mass Effect: Andromeda and the game itself will obviously make things clear for fans when it’s finally released. Moreover, a recent announcement suggests that the game will start to develop its own lore separate from the original Mass Effect games, in the form of books centered in the Andromeda galaxy.

BioWare will team up with Titan Books to release three tie-in novels that will run concurrently with events in Mass Effect: Andromeda - at the same time, also setting up the story for the game. The first novel, Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising, will release on March 28, 2017 (presumably around the same time that the game arrives) and serve as an official prequel. The other two novels, Mass Effect: Annihilation and Mass Effect: Initiation, will release in summer and fall of 2017 but no exact release dates are available at this time.

Mass Effect Andromeda Official Trailer

This isn’t exactly a shocking move for BioWare, as four books already exist in the Mass Effect canon - so fleshing out Mass Effect: Andromeda’s contribution to the world makes sense. What is surprising, however, is how little time will pass between the tie-in books. It’s important to note that each novel will be written by different authors, though. Nexus Uprising will be co-authored by Jason M. Hough and K.C. Alexander, Annihilation by Catherine M. Valente and Initiation by N.K. Jemisin.

This is a rather exciting development, especially for the more diehard fans who have been anxiously waiting for additional stories to materialize in the Mass Effect universe. These three tie-in novels could do a lot to build excitement well after Mass Effect: Andromeda has released and into the future of the game series. Naturally, it will also potentially fill in any story gaps left by the game, or at least offer fans further insight into the Andromeda galaxy where the events take place. Some fans, however, may wish for the game to eventually return to the original trilogy and explore unanswered questions that are still lingering to this very day.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is rumored to arrive in March 2017. An exact release date has not yet been announced.

Source: Titan Books/BioWare