The Future Of Mass Effect

Mass Effect 5 — everything we know so far

(Image credit: Bioware)

What we're calling Mass Effect 5 for the time being, is officially in the works.

And it'south expected to follow in the footsteps of the story established with Mass Consequence Legendary Edition maybe with some Mass Effect: Andromeda sprinkled in.

Based on the cursory description given by Bioware'due south general manager, Casey Hudson, we shouldn't wait Mass Effect v to release any time soon. Still the fact the studio is willing to talk about it and reveal a few tantalizing details is keen news.

Mass Effect 5 release date speculation

While we know that the game is coming, there'south no release date just yet. Going past the statement from Bioware's Casey Hudson that the game's in its "early on stages," nosotros've likely got a couple of years to wait.

Every bit such, nosotros'd tentatively predict we could hear more than virtually Mass Event 5 this yr. But we'd not be surprised if it's comes along in 2023 or fifty-fifty 2024.

Mass Effect 5 trailer

Currently, there'southward only ane Mass Event 5 trailer. This debuted at the Game Awards, showed Liara T'soni, a companion from the original trilogy, trekking through a frozen wasteland and coming across a piece of armor marked with the N7 insignia.

This seems like strong evidence of the game being a direct sequel to Mass Event 3, although given the longevity of the Asari, the alien race to which Liara belongs, the story wouldn't accept to follow on immediately after Shepherd defeated the Reapers.

Mass Effect v story and setting

The N7 Day postal service from Hudson mainly focuses on the upcoming Legendary Edition remaster of the original three Mass Effect games (meet below), but we were shown one piece of concept art as a teaser.

On the side of the ship in the concept art, we encounter "XT8." This is a common naming convention in the Mass Effect universe for vehicles used by the Alliance, the human faction in the game.

Equally it uses ii letters and one number like Mass Consequence: Andromeda's ND1 Nomad, rather than the two-number designations of original trilogy craft like the M35 Mako, M44 Hammerhead and UT-47 Kodiak, we can infer that the new game volition be a sequel to Andromeda. In Mass Effect: Andromeda, the game was centered around humans and other races from the Milky Way galaxy arriving in the Andromeda milky way, afterwards a 600-year journeying.

This fits with an interesting observation from Rock Paper Shotgun's Imogen Beckhelling, who believes that one of the silhouetted figures in the background is an Angara, a race of aliens introduced in Andromeda.

On the other paw, information technology could but mean that this arts and crafts just belongs to a noncombatant organization, like the Andromeda initiative. As such nosotros tin't tell if Mass Outcome 5 is an Andromeda follow-upwards or another game taking place in the Milky Way. But it could hint that wherever the next game is set, information technology could focus more on ordinary citizens rather than the milky way's military and political elite as the original trilogy did.

Mass Issue 5 gameplay

Nosotros've seen no footage of Mass Event 5 in action but that doesn't mean nosotros don't have high hopes for the game. The original Mass Effect series composite third-person activeness and role-playing systems with conversation, character interactions, and a bevy of choices. And on top of that was sprinkled on some mild exploration.

This combination worked very well, leading to a series of games that felt taught and thrilling from start to finish. But Mass Issue: Andromeda tried to prefer more of an open up-world feel, leading to a lot of busy work and bloat to the game that soured its overall feel.

So we're hoping Bioware goes back to its roots a little and concentrates on edifice a game that's more than story-focused rather than exploration orientated.

That'southward not to say at that place's no room for exploration and building upon the Mass Effect trilogy foundations. Some space gainsay would be slap-up fun, as would the scope to play as other races or explore a story from dissimilar perspectives similar Dragon Historic period Origins allowed players to exercise.

Whatever direction Bioware takes Mass Effect 5, we're hoping it focuses on nailing the single-player experience rather than try and draw upon its multiplayer efforts.

Nosotros have recently got i tidbit of information that suggests Bioware is looking to avert repeating the mistakes of the relatively divisive Mass Effect: Andromeda. That game was built on Frostbite, EA's proprietary in-firm engine which reportedly caused serious headaches during the evolution process.

The original trilogy was built using Unreal Engine 3, and according to PC Gamer (opens in new tab), Mass Consequence 5 will exist reverting the series dorsum to Unreal. The news that the side by side Mass Upshot volition be created using Unreal Engine 5 came almost due to a Bioware job list. Information technology's a very pocket-size update, but a promising ane nevertheless.

Mass Effect 5 — what to play while you lot wait

While you wait for the sequel to appear, you'll be able to play the original games in a new refreshed format next year. The Mass Upshot: Legendary Edition is a remastered version of the original Mass Effect trilogy, along with all the DLC and other content bundled in and released in Spring 2021.

The remaster is available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and boasts better "textures, shaders, models, effects and technical features" besides as 4K resolution, HDR and higher frame rates among its improvements.

While the Legendary Edition isn't for sale specifically on the PS5 and Xbox Series 10 and Xbox Serial S, the game is playable on these newer consoles via each automobile'southward corresponding backwards compatibility part.

In that location's no mention of a adjacent-gen port of 2017'southward Mass Issue: Andromeda, likely because it's a generation younger than the original trilogy. Perhaps we'll see this game reimagined in the coming years so all games can exist played at their best on the newest consoles.

Mass Effect v outlook

The central thing to take abroad from the data so far is: be patient. While it's very exciting to see Bioware showtime up the hype motorcar, in that location's not a lot to really take hold of onto at the moment.

It's possible that will modify in the coming few months and years, and there'south nil stopping y'all from making your own theories about what the game will involve. We're just glad Bioware hasn't abandoned the Mass Effect franchise, and we're charily optimistic to see what information technology volition come up upward with in the side by side few years.

Richard is a Tom's Guide staff author based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, audio and whatever else people need communication on. Following on from his MA in Mag Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he'south besides written for WIRED U.K., The Annals and Creative Bloq. When non at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.