N7 Day 2021 is finally here, and BioWare is celebrating with special Mass Effect sales, merchandise, and more. Every year, fans of Mass Effect celebrate the blockbuster RPG series on November 7, the date being a reference to the elite N7 program series protagonist Commander Shepard is a part of. Previous N7 Days had Shepard voice actors Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale reunite to look back on the role that helped define their careers, and BioWare teased upcoming Mass Effect projects like the remastered Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and the in-development Mass Effect 4.
Building off its work on the critically-acclaimed Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic, BioWare released the original Mass Effect back in 2007. Players were wowed with the story of Commander Shepard and their growing assortment of allies as they battled to save the Milky Way from the threat of the Reapers, and the subsequent sequels would build on the first game’s lore and gameplay mechanics in a growing sci-fi narrative that was shaped by the player’s actions. While the ending of 2011’s Mass Effect 3 and the 2017 spin-off Mass Effect: Andromeda would prove divisive among fans, the original Mass Effect trilogy remains dear to players all across the world - as evidenced by the chart-topping success of the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition earlier this year.
Earlier today, BioWare posted a special blog article looking back at the history of the Mass Effect franchise in time for this year's N7 Day celebration. This post looks back on the many games, novels, comic books, statues, and even board games that have spawned from the original Mass Effect trilogy, as well as providing insight into the past and present of the Mass Effect series from the talented minds at BioWare. Additionally, BioWare is joining forces with Steam, EA Origin, and the Microsoft Store for special discounts on Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and it has recruited talented Instagram cosplayer Soylent Cosplay for a how-to video for building Shepard’s signature N7 armor. The company is also offering up Mass Effect merchandise from BioWare Gear Store and other online outlets. Additionally, BioWare is releasing a new infographic detailing the many choices players made throughout the original Mass Effect trilogy, such as the most common names for Male and Female Shepards, the most common difficulty setting used, and which of Mass Effect 3’s endings most players chose.
During this weekend’s N7 Day celebrations, longtime BioWare heads Mac Walters and Mike Gamble reflected on what made the Mass Effect series resonate with fans of science fiction and Western RPGs. For them, it's the deep narrative choices that Mass Effect provided, which helped ensure that no two players would get a completely identical gameplay experience. They are also looking ahead to the future of Mass Effect, as Gamble is serving as Project Director for the upcoming Mass Effect 4. The story about this next chapter of the Mass Effect saga is still a mystery, but last November’s announcement trailer revealed that Liara T’Soni will return.
The Mass Effect series means many things to many people, and N7 Day is a time for fans to look back at the moments that defined Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy as they journeyed across the stars of the Milky Way and worked to unite the Galaxy against a menace beyond all imagination. It is also a time to look ahead to what BioWare has in store for the future of the Mass Effect series, with a brand-new adventure in the works for players looking to jump back into one of the biggest sci-fi universes of the 21st century.
Source: BioWare, Soylent Cosplay/Instagram, BioWare Gear Store