BioWare is officially developing a brand-new sequel to the Mass Effect series for the next console generation. It has been three years since players last experienced the vast universe of BioWare’s signature sci-fi RPG franchise with 2017’s ill-fated Mass Effect: Andromeda, but fans have been hungry as ever for new adventures involving the Turians, Krogans, Quarians, and humans of the Milky Way galaxy.
Earlier today, BioWare finally announced the highly-anticipated Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a next-gen remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy that is set to arrive on current consoles (save for the Nintendo Switch) next spring, with updates for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to come shortly after. Rumors indicate that the collection was originally planned for release last month but was delayed due to porting issues with the original Mass Effect. It turns out BioWare has also been working on something else - something that's sure to please fans looking to explore new reaches of the Mass Effect universe.
In a posting on EA's website regarding the upcoming Mass Effect Legendary Edition, BioWare revealed that a "veteran team has been hard at work" creating a new Mass Effect sequel, which is still in the early stages of development. The company stated it couldn't say any more about the upcoming title yet, but its developers are "looking forward to sharing our vision for where we'll be going next."
Released for the Xbox 360 and PC back in 2007, the original Mass Effect took the lessons BioWare learned while creating Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and applied them to an entirely original setting, winning players the world over with a cast of memorable sci-fi characters, awe-inspiring alien races and technology, and thought-provoking themes that dealt with the harsh realities of war and sacrifice. A major drawing point for the game and its two sequels was a wide range of narrative choices, which carried over between installments and allowed fans to determine the course of the ongoing storyline. Unfortunately, the ending to 2012's Mass Effect 3 proved extremely divisive, and the poor sales of Mass Effect: Andromeda effectively put the franchise on hiatus, at least until now.
The Mass Effect series may have had its ups and downs over the years, but the idea of getting a brand-new game set in the imaginative universe BioWare created back in 2007 is likely an exciting prospect for players thrilled at the journey of Commander Shepard throughout the original trilogy. Details on this new title are still scarce at this time, so fans should stay tuned for new developments as they come to light.
Source: EA