During the best of times, N7 Day is BioWare’s annual Mass Effect celebration. Sometimes the studio teases what’s to come in its science fiction universe with concept art or cinematic trailers, but this year sounds like it’s going to be a bit quieter. If you’ve been paying attention to all the turmoil at the studio in recent years, that’s probably not surprising, but BioWare is assuring fans that Mass Effect 5 is still in development and is the studio’s primary focus.
In a post on the studio’s blog, Mass Effect executive producer Mike Gamble addressed fans, more or less telling them the team doesn’t have much to show this November 7. I guess that’s what happens sometimes when you make an official community day; even when you’re not in a place to show something off, you’ve gotta say something publicly.
“Like you, we’ve heard the rumors lately,” Gamble writes. “You’ve made it clear you care deeply about what’s next. So let’s start by setting the record straight: the next Mass Effect game is in development, and EA and BioWare remain committed to telling more stories in this universe.
“The truth is, the last few years have been an incredibly busy time at BioWare. But currently, the team is heads-down and focused exclusively on Mass Effect. We have a lot of universe to cover, lots of features to build, and lots of romances to figure out. We’re excited by what we’re building, and we promise you: when we’re ready, it’ll be a lot of fun to show. Until then, thank you for your patience because y’all are thirsty for news and I see you looking for secret meaning in my tweets (okay, sometimes they have secret meaning).”
However, despite Gamble’s suggestion that the team may not have much to show off for some time, there might be some more substantial teases coming. The blog post has a bunch of random italicized letters that, when isolated, spell “url krogan.” Krogan are one of the alien species in the Mass Effect universe, but it’s unclear at this point what this might be teasing. No doubt fans will be working to piece things together as the day goes on.
Beyond the next game, Gamble does confirm something significant about another Mass Effect project: the Amazon TV adaptation. After rumors and speculation circulated on the internet that the show might be a retread of the original trilogy’s story, Gamble confirmed that it won’t be, and thank god for that.
“The writers room is going strong, and we’ve got a lot figured out about how it fits within the Mass Effect canon, and where it sits in respect to the new game,” Gamble writes. “The show will explore a brand-new story within the universe’s timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy. It won’t be a retread of Commander Shepard’s story – because after all … that’s YOUR story, isn’t it?”
Mass Effect development may be ongoing, but BioWare’s pivot into a one-game studio after EA made drastic cuts to the company’s staff means that Dragon Age is likely in limbo. The Veilguard ended with a cliffhanger in its post-credits scene, but much of the talent behind that series has been scattered across other EA studios or left the company entirely.
