BioWare announced today that it is making a new Mass Effect game in a surprise for N7 day (November 7), the official holiday of the game series.
The announcement was made by Casey Hudson, longtime shepherd of the series, and he said it involves a veteran team working on the next chapter of the Mass Effect universe. This new Mass Effect is in its early stages of development, and the studio released only one screenshot.
Meanwhile, the company is working on the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb got the scoop on a while back. This is a remaster of the original series, which is so old now that it’s considered retro. That project has been going on for many months, and the team has been at work updating the textures, shaders, models, effects another details for a modern experience. It will include all of the single-player and downloadable content from the first three games, remastered for 4K UHD visuals. It’s coming out in the spring for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and it will be forward compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
The original Mass Effect came out in 2007, when BioWare was still run by founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, two medical doctors who love playing games. EA bought BioWare in 2008, and the second game debuted in 2010. Mass Effect 3 debuted in 2012, and the doctors, who were beloved for their dedication to what started as a hobby for them, retired in September 2012.
In honor of N7 day, NZXT unveiled its NZXT CRFT 07, a new computer case made out of carbon fiber. It’s based on Mass Effect, and it’s an example of the rabid fan base that exists for Mass Effect.
I didn’t develop much of a reputation for appreciating the original Mass Effect, but I loved the series and even appreciated the ending of the original trilogy that triggered a lot of hate. To me, it was a bold expression of a new sci-fi franchise that went beyond Star Wars tropes, and it was unique thanks to BioWare’s devotion to role-playing games with detailed characters and a believable galaxy setting. It was a fully fleshed out imaginative universe. I’m also glad that EA/BioWare took a breather after the setbacks of Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem.
It’s a nice present to get on this day which is important for other reasons. We have a new president-elect, and a new Mass Effect game coming. The doctors would be proud.