You can learn more about the map and event here, but the new weapons are more intriguing. There’s the NSW4 Carbine with subsonic ammo; the ADS-17 6GHz Signal Jammer to scramble kill feeds and hostile locations; and the M142 MRAS for quick and dirty explosive payloads. Several new attachments are also inbound, including a 60-round magazine for the AK-205, a Match Trigger for the M44 and Rail Covers for a litany of existing assault rifles, light machine guns, sniper rifles and more.

The update also introduces Leaderboards with seasonal and Friends-only filters and a limited public test of the much-demanded Server Browser. The latter will be fully available later, though a release date is TBD.

Battlefield 6 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review, but note that it’s changed significantly over time. Thankfully, you can try it firsthand with a free trial announced for November 13th to 16th.

“Doesn’t feel right to say ‘happy’ #N7Day this year, but I’m optimistic that Mass Effect will live on! When Mass Effect makes its triumphant return, it will be thanks to the outpouring of love from players around the world. Thank you for sharing what it means to you.”

Project lead on the now-canceled Mass Effect project, Michael Gamble, also took to social media to thank fans for their support of the sci-fi series. “You all are truly amazing. The love and passion for this…universe…is incredible. Even in worst days, we could always count on you. To all the stories left untold. Happy N7 Day.”

Former narrative designer at BioWare, Michael Tucker, took to social media to thank Mass Effect fans for their support, and said that the time he got to spend on the franchise has been “the chance of a lifetime”.

Composer of the original Mass Effect trilogy, Sam Hulick, got in on the action as well by revealing through a new blog post that he was in talks with BioWare about returning to compose for the project. While this ultimately didn’t pan out, Hulick decided to release a new track that could have potentially been made for Mass Effect Universe by adding it to the trailer that was leaked last month.

“I knew BioWare wanted to do something new with the music, and I wanted to be conscious about not just repeating the same formula used in the original trilogy. Fans really loved the ME1 end-credits song by Faunts, and I thought it would’ve been incredible to bring more songs with lyrics into the game. This would’ve been a great way to highlight more emotional moments in the narrative.”

Hulick even revealed that he was going to collaborate with other artists including The Midnight, NINA, and Gunship to bring in “a moody, cinematic synthwave vibe that would’ve meshed well with the score in my head.”

“Sadly, things never progressed far enough to develop any of these ideas. I was just starting to build a musical palette when I got word that EA was shutting down BioWare. A lot of game studios have shut down in recent years, but this one hit me particularly hard, as the Mass Effect trilogy is a core part of my origin story as a composer.”

Interestingly, Journey composer Austin Wintory had revealed that he was also in discussions with BioWare about potentially composing the music for the Mass Effect project. “This trilogy is my most cherished gaming experience of my lifetime and, as a professional composer, represented my most sought-after ‘White Whale’. For me, there is no greater dream project to be part of,” he said.

Recently, BioWare co-founder Trent Oster has said that bringing Mass Effect back would require an upfront investment of more than $200 million.

Following posts earlier this week about wanting to “get some of the original band back together” after being energized by seeing support from the fans, Oster went on to explain that saving Mass Effect would involve an upfront cost of more than $200 million, since fans would “want the best of AAA development.” However, he is still confident that the game could be developed for less money than that.

“The scary component of Mass Effect is the audience is going to want the best of ‘AAA’ development. Rough ballpark (based on contemporaries) is $200M+. That is a big number to commit up front. There has to be a bigger plan in place for the IP to make the math work.

“That said, I think it can be done well for less than that amount with a disciplined approach and an experienced team.”

A bigger question, however, would be whether EA would be willing to let go of the Mass Effect IP to begin with. Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah believes that the company might be willing to part ways with Mass Effect down the line. Noting that EA is currently in its “cost control mode”, once it goes into “revenue-generation mode”, the company might look at how it could monetize the IP in the future.

“Remember, BioWare is 100% owned by EA. EA owns all the IPs. They own Dragon Age, they own Mass Effect, they own Jade Empire. That doesn’t change the situation, really, at all. …Now, there’s nobody working on a [BioWare] game, or games, within the EA organization, and chances are there never will be, which might make them more likely to sell off those IPs. But it might also make them more likely to just try to forget that they ever existed and bury them in the vault.

“I think we still are gonna have to wait a little bit before we see if EA has any interest in selling off some of its dormant IPs. Right now, they seem to be in cost control mode. They might start in a revenue-generation mode where selling IPs might be more desirable.”

A more recent report has indicated that EA may have had ulterior motives when it decided to cancel Mass Effect. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, sources have indicated that EA wanted to focus its efforts and resources on a brand-new Star Wars Battlefront game rather than going with Mass Effect yet again. This comes down to the company’s attempts to get out of its $18 billion debt following its acquisition, along with a reported deal inked with Lucasfilm to create Star Wars Battlefront 3. It would also be a “less risky, more predictable” bet for EA.

The new schedule now aims for a staggered rollout right after Phase 2 launches on November 10th, starting with the feature opening to a limited pool of players for stress testing and optimization before its global launch. It will be front and center on your launch screen to make it easier to access once it’s live. You can choose between official and player-hosted servers, filter them, and stay in persistent lobbies if you’re inclined. Of course, that’s only a teaser of everything the new feature brings.

All that’s left is to wait for the rollout to complete, which will be easier when there’s a new map to try and a new Heist to plan. It’s an exciting time to be a soldier on this battlefield, and the future certainly looks bright, especially after its rough post-launch patch. Stay tuned for more updates when the Server Browser goes live.

Time surely flew past us in a very crowded month, but the popular shooter is showing no signs of slowing down just yet. A new Community Update has dropped, bringing news of Season 5’s second phase, taking the action to a new map themed around a European casino. Of course, a new Casino Heist is also coming to the game with new gear and more adjustments.

The new map is a stunner, combining gorgeous design with an infantry-only gameplay loop where you drop into the casino at night to cause some mayhem. Destructible environments, cramped hallways, open floors, and the rest of the resort are all part of it, and we’re eager to dive in when it drops on November 10th.

The Casino Heist has us equally excited since downed enemies drop Contracts, which you can complete for DOUGH to unlock new cosmetics. The new gear includes the NSW4 Carbine, the Signal Jammer, and a new MRAS truck, all of which should go to good use by the more seasoned warriors among you. Stay tuned for gameplay as we near Phase 2’s release.

According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who reiterated that Battlefront 3 hasn’t begun development, Star Wars Jedi 3 is “far in development.” How far is “far”? In another Bluesky post, he noted it should be “announced soon,” which sounds like an announcement for The Game Awards if we’ve ever heard of one.

Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson claimed last June that the follow-up to 2023’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor would star an older Cal Kestis, though he wouldn’t require a walking stick. Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported that it began production immediately after the second game. “Everyone involved knew they were going to make a third game. They wanted to do a trilogy.”

Officially, EA’s Laura Miele said that Respawn Entertainment was “working hard to bring the final chapter of this thrilling story to players.” With Battlefront 3 allegedly coming, the studio could wrap up work on Jedi 3 before moving on. That doesn’t necessarily mean a 2027 launch or anytime sooner, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising.

Stay tuned for more updates and check out our review for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor here. It’s available for Xbox One, PS5, PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S.

More specifically, the rumored Star Wars Battlefront 3, which will enter development at DICE and Respawn Entertainment. Sources speaking to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier claim that a deal with Lucasfilm to produce the sequel emerged soon after EA went private. Because of its $18 billion debt, executives reportedly chose to focus on developing the next Battlefront rather than continuing with BioWare and Mass Effect.

Why? Because the former is apparently a “less risky, more predictable” bet, even if it could cost “hundreds of millions of dollars.” Other factors include BioWare’s spotty record since 2017 and Laura Miele, who seemingly favored the developer and Mass Effect, reportedly being “sidelined” while David Tinson and Cam Weber of EA Sports fame were promoted.

Whichever way you slice it, it all comes back to the publisher not knowing what to do with BioWare. Which is a shame because, based on alleged details, including how it took cues from Larian Studios and CD Projekt RED with player agency, the next Mass Effect could have been something special.

“I’ve kind of gone through all the emotions like long, long ago,” he said. “You have to break from it and kind of go, ‘OK, I’ve had my emotional moment.’ I’m just at a point in my life where I’ve got my own other business. My [beer] brewing business is going really well. I’ve got a whole other thing I’m doing, and I’m not sentimental or nostalgic. I’m kind of, like, that chapter’s closed.”

“I’m not saying it doesn’t hurt and doesn’t suck,” Zeschuk continued. “And I think it’s kind of sad. It’s actually, in some ways, saddest for the city of Edmonton, where we’re from, because we were kind of this beacon of hope and excitement and possibility. We showed you could do something really special in a place that was not known for doing things like that.”

Further in the interview, Zeschuk also spoke about how BioWare’s closure isn’t really a big surprise following EA being acquired by a consortium of investors comprised of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake. “I think it was the final nail in the coffin.”

“I think that was the crux of it in a sense. Once again, it’s a completely different company now… BioWare makes these kind of unusual games that take a long time, and they’re complicated and so it’s easier just to pump out sports games every year, and that’s a better business model in some ways.”

Generally speaking, the fact that leadership among game companies is often made up of people who don’t tend to have backgrounds in game development is a detriment to the industry. Noting that one can’t simply “recreate great games with random people and AI”, Zeschuk said that this “weird belief” still remains a “harsh reality” these days.

“There’s this weird belief that you can just kind of recreate great games with random people and AI. It doesn’t work. The other harsh reality of almost all these companies, the people that go down the business track never really come from the development track. Because none of these people have ever made a game, like, never really sat and made one, like, from start to finish, even a small thing, they just don’t know how it works.”

Zeschuk is one of many who have spoken about BioWare’s closure and the ultimate fate of Mass Effect. Since the announcement was made earlier this month, writers and artists on the project took to social media to discuss the experience of working at the studio, and former executive producer Mark Darrah even expressed the belief that EA might be open to selling the Mass Effect IP someday.

“In light of last week’s news about BioWare’s closure, I felt it was time to share something I haven’t talked about publicly: from April until last week, I was the art director of the Mass Effect franchise. During this time, it was a privilege to work alongside such a talented team, with the shared ambition of exploring new creative territories while staying true to the legacy and spirit of the Mass Effect trilogy.”

He also called the fact that the work that had been produced during the development of the Mass Effect game would never make it in front of the public “truly heartbreaking”. Noting that the team was “good at this”, he also mourned the fact that the team’s achievements can’t be shown off to fans of the franchise.

“In nearly 30 years in this industry, I’ve rarely seen a group so tightly knit, so experienced, and so good at working together. And I feel extremely honored to have been part of it. As for what comes next, I’d be curious to peek into my own future. I simply don’t know. For now, I’ll take a bit of time before figuring out next steps. In the meantime, I wish everyone affected all the very best for what lies ahead.”

BioWare announced its closure and the cancelation of its in-development Mass Effect project last week. The company spoke about how its current focus is on supporting the team as the studio shuts down. Following this, sci-fi writer Derek Künsken confirmed that he was also working on the project alongside Catherynne Valente. In a social media post, he spoke about how his time with BioWare was among the highlights of his career.

“I can say that everyone I met at BioWare was a decent human being, an expert in their field, and was ambitiously imaginative about what a future experience of BioWare could be. Working closely with Parrish Ley and Mary DeMarie will be highlights of my writing career.”

“There are too many great people to mention right now. All fifty deserve to be lauded and to land safely in new jobs. I hope you support them. I also hope to say more in a few weeks. The emotional dust needs to settle. I need to find out what I can and cannot say. I need to look for a new job in video games – how does LinkedIn even work?? And I’m way behind in promoting my newest novel.”

The fate of the Mass Effect franchise is currently unknown. While former executive producer Mark Darrah believes that EA might be willing to sell the IP once it enters its revenue generation phase, the company is still reportedly continuing its work on the live-action TV adaptation based on the sci-fi franchise.

Former technical director on the franchise, Romain Toutain, has provided some fresh new details on the game during a recent livestream. According to social media user Loustica, Toutain spoke about why the project was titled Mass Effect: Universe.

“One of the reasons why it was called Mass Effect: Universe is that you had so many choices that you could plug your saves together to create parallel universes,” he explained during the livestream. “To keep it simple. It’s not exactly how it worked. You had different timelines, basically.” He went on to talk about how players could “almost generate timelines”, drawing direct comparisons to cult classic visual novel Zero Time Dilemma.

This would mean that players would get to experience even the consequences of choices they may not have been able to pick in the previous entries. “All the choices made in the first Mass Effect games were taken into account,” he said.

Another report from last week indicated that the title would have taken on the role of a brand-new character described as a “customizable N7 agent”, and that the story would take place roughly 600 years after the events of the original trilogy. The tone of the story was believed to be somewhere “between John Wick and James Bond”, indicating plenty of worldbuilding, traveling to exotic locales, and even some tight action.

The setting itself would have gone through several changes in the six centuries since Mass Effect 3’s ending, with the galaxy now being ruled by three factions. Humans had also seemingly drawn up new alliances with Batarians and Krogans. With this alliance on one side and the Council on the other, the third faction was reportedly going to include the Geth in some way, with the entire galaxy being in a state of a “Cold War”.

As for gameplay, Mass Effect: Universe would have seemingly allowed players an unprecedented (for the franchise) level of freedom, with its levels being “Hitman-style”. Players would also have the ability to pull off “brutal close-range executions”, while also making use of engineering abilities like hacking. Whether or not biotic abilities would still exist is unknown. Interestingly, fans of the original trilogy would have even gotten to meet Liara T’Soni, who in Universe’s timeline would have become an “incredibly powerful Asari Matriarch”.

While the future of the Mass Effect franchise remains unknown for now, reports have indicated that EA is still going ahead with the planned live-action TV adaptation being produced by Amazon MGM Studios. A former executive producer for BioWare has also expressed the belief that EA might eventually sell the Mass Effect IP once it is in revenue-generation mode.

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