“So, I can’t talk about the specifics of what I’m writing (I’ve signed NDAs, etc) — but for whatever it’s worth, that article by the Ankler caught me off guard just as much as you,” Casey wrote. “I don’t know where that ‘non-gaming audiences’ quote came from or who said it, but at no point has that been said to me.”

The original report, according to The Ankler, alleged that the Mass Effect adaptation was “on the verge” of being greenlit. However, head of global TV at Amazon MGM Studios, Peter Friedlander, has seemingly asked the story to be rewritten in order to make it “more appealing to non-gamers.” However, no details about these alleged rewrite requests have been revealed.

Amazon has adapted a couple of video game adaptations into TV shows over the last few years. However, while the adaptation of Fallout has been widely praised thanks to its strong characters and worldbuilding, the live-action adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza was critically panned thanks to several changes having been made to its story and various characters.

Mass Effect would otherwise make for a decent TV show thanks to the franchise’s emphasis on longer story arcs that still manage to fit in more episodic storylines in the middle that eventually build up to unravelling a larger story. The first three games in the series revolved around the adventures of Commander Shepard and their adventures throughout the galaxy aboard the space craft SR1 (and later SR2) Normandy.

Developed by BioWare, the original trilogy has been considered by many to be some of their favorite games, thanks in large part to how the story of the impending attack by the Reapers is slowly uncovered by Shepard and their crew exploring the galaxy’s history. While the finale in Mass Effect 3 drew quite a bit of criticism owing to its anti-climactic nature, the characters remained well-praised, with some, like the Turian Garrus Vakarian, the Asari Liara T’Soni, Krogans like Wrex and Grunt, the Salarian Mordin Solus, and the Quarian Tali’Zorah being fan-favorites.

Following the trilogy, BioWare would go on to release Mass Effect: Andromeda, which would focus on the story of an entirely new cast of characters, taking place in the Andromeda galaxy. The protagonist—Scott or Sara Ryder—teams up with fellow members of the Pathfinder team to figure out whether the planet they’ve landed on is a safe haven for the various species that had crewed up to escape the Milky Way galaxy due to the impending Reaper invasion. The story and characters were panned by many, though some did note at the time that the gameplay presented interesting new opportunities.

In the meantime, BioWare has confirmed that it is working on a brand new entry in the franchise—Mass Effect 5.

So, I can’t talk about the specifics of what I’m writing (I’ve signed NDAs, etc) — but for whatever it’s worth, that article by the Ankler caught me off guard just as much as you. I don’t know where that “non-gaming audiences” quote came from or who said it, but at no point has that been said to me.

— Daniel Casey (@danielcaseytypes.bsky.social) 2026-04-20T03:02:07.176Z

This is according to The Ankler, which noted Mass Effect’s TV series is allegedly “on the verge” of being ordered. But what kind of rewrites is Friedlander looking at? Apparently, something to be “more appealing to non-gamers.”

What that exactly means is unknown, but you could interpret it in several ways. Perhaps he’s looking at something that emphasizes more characterization and plotlines that are easily adaptable for TV, as opposed to numerous references to the games. It could also mean a few tweaks to the story that could make it more accessible for “regular” sci-fi fans.

Of course, there’s always the danger that the show could omit the things that make Mass Effect so unique, alienating fans in the process while failing to hook new viewers. Time will tell, but maybe the goal is to replicate Amazon’s success with the Fallout TV series, which saw the New Vegas-centered second season reaching 83 million views about 91 days after its debut.

Speaking to PressBoxPR, Nesmith, “I think they should probably try to make a more Bethesda-style game, to be honest. I think Mass Effect players are dying for an open-world science fiction game that has that kind of flavor to it. A big, open-world, content-heavy game? I think Mass Effect players would be going nuts for that. But I’m a former Bethesda guy, so I’m probably going to say that about a lot of things.”

For clarity’s sake, that was only one of the suggestions. Others included more modern gameplay, which Nesmith says “always felt dusty and old.”

“I would hope that they would try to just take their lore and make a modern game of it. One of the knocks on Mass Effect that I would have is that they always felt like they were a generation behind. I know, they had very cool characters, they had great stories, but the gameplay always felt dusty and old. It just wasn’t there. If they can take the things that they were so good at and do it in a more modern sense, I think that they’d have a fantastic game.”

There’s also, shock of shocks, Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios’ critically and commercially acclaimed role-playing game. “I think taking lessons from Baldur’s Gate 3 would fit Mass Effect really well. They already had that kind of style in their games, and Larian Studios had the advantage of having produced the Divinity and Divinity 2 games. They were able to use that engine for it.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Nesmith cited Baldur’s Gate 3 as worth studying. In the same interview, he felt that Bethesda could learn a thing or two about meaningful choices from it for the next Fallout.

As for the next Mass Effect, it will likely offer branching choices and companions with extensive storylines who could like you or hate your guts. After all, that was a staple of their older titles, including Dragon Age: Origins. How BioWare will innovate on this, however, while updating its gameplay for a more contemporary audience, is the real question.

We’ll be waiting a while to find out, but development is seemingly making progress. BioWare recently posted a job listing for a Production Director to act as a “high-impact leader” for the title. Head here to learn more.

“They’ll report to me, and it’s gonna be awesome,” he said on Twitter. The listing is for a Production Director and the company searching for someone with a “passion for the Mass Effect universe” to serve as a “high-impact leader” on the sequel. Over ten years of experience on multiple “large-scale” triple-A games, alongside “deep expertise in ARPG and RPG development”, is required, among other things.

“You will partner closely with creative leadership, studio teams, and internal and external partners to champion the game’s vision and ensure its execution at the highest quality bar.” Said position also involves bringing a “strong player-first mindset, deep knowledge of the competitive gaming landscape, and a commitment to building inspired teams through mentorship, collaboration, and best-in-class production practices.”

If that wasn’t enough, they’ll need to “continuously elevate both the game and the team, fostering a strong production culture while translating ambitious ideas into outstanding player experiences.” All in all, a pretty high-level position, and one that could point to active development beginning soon (if it hasn’t already).

It’s hard to believe, but the first concept art and teaser for the next Mass Effect debuted in 2020. Since then, BioWare has released new concept art and even a look at what could be the new protagonist. Following the most recent N7 Day, it hid some artwork of a Krogan civil war for players to discover.

Even if production is beginning to ramp up, it may be a while before we see the sequel. Rumors from 2023 indicate it won’t be out until 2028 or 2029, and given that this is BioWare, which has had its share of development troubles, plans could change. Time will tell, so stay tuned for further updates.

Mass Effect 1 – Mako Segments

Mass Effect’s first outing laid the foundation for what would end up becoming one of the most beloved sci-fi RPG trilogies of all time, but even those who swear by the franchise will tell you that the Mako segments are easily the game’s most off-putting mandatory sections. On paper, cruising across alien planets in a six-wheeled all-terrain tank sounds like a thrilling opportunity to explore strange landscapes and uncover hidden secrets. But in execution, the driving experience turns into a bumpy nightmare in the face of weird controls and awkward handling. The Mako handles like a bouncy toy through and through, ricocheting off the slightest hill and sliding around at every slope. It also doesn’t help that most planets you explore are barren with little variety between them and the enemy encounters presnet within. And when mission objectives force you into these segments repeatedly, it becomes painfully clear they were more ambitious than polished. They can break the narrative flow, drag the pacing down, and leave anyone dreading the next time the game says, “Time to deploy the Mako.”

However, it seems that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as executive producer and project director Mike Gamble tweeted, “Everything you’ve seen – from all N7 days – will connect.”

Some of these include footage of a mysterious mass relay and the reveal of what could be the new protagonist. The latter was seemingly in-engine and featured various species, including Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Angara. How will all this possibly connect? We’ll have to wait to find out, but with rumors claiming it won’t launch until 2029, it could be a while.

What we do know is that Mass Effect 5 or whatever it ends up called will have photorealistic visuals and maintain the original trilogy’s more “mature tone.”

The link to this image, which you can check out here, was hidden in the post with a series of letters that had been italicised. When put together, these letters spelled out “URL KROGAN”. The official social media account for Mass Effect provided a further clue by posting “https://www.masseffect[dot]com/[ERROR A20N7S12]”. This URL was eventually discovered to have been a replacement cipher, where each letter stands for an individual letter. For example, the letter N is substituted with the number 7. The clue led fans to discover the number “411826207”, which when entered into the URL provided by BioWare, leads to the download page for the Korgan Civil War art piece.

While fans have been busy with figuring this puzzle out over the weekend, Gamble himself also took to social media to talk about the fact that the studio is still working on the Mass Effect project. He noted that, while some might be disappointed at the lack of progress revealed in the N7 Day post, he said that BioWare simply wasn’t ready to reveal too much for now.

“For everyone yelling at me because we didn’t use N7 Day to provide a whole bunch of info,” wrote Gamble. “I mean, I get it. I’m a fan too. I want you to see stuff. But it’s not the time… yet. Has it been years since announce? Yes. Have we been busy? Yes. Are we NOW 100% on Mass Effect? Also yes.”

In the N7 Day post itself, Gamble wrote about how busy BioWare had been in recent times after having wrapped up work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as EA announcing its plans to go private. While all of this might be happening around the studio, Gamble noted that the team was “focused exclusively on Mass Effect,” and that “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,” wrote Gamble. “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).”

A new game in the Mass Effect franchise was confirmed to be in early stages of development back in January. In the meantime, BioWare has also been restructuring itself, with the studio now opting to focus on single projects rather than working on multiple games at the same time.

Noting that the last few years were an “incredibly busy time at BioWare” (which released Dragon Age: The Veilguard last year), Gamble said the team is currently “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).”

He also talked about the upcoming TV series which it’s partnering with Amazon on. Gamble says the writers’ room has “a lot figured out” about its place in the overall canon, especially “where it sits in respect to the new game.” However, don’t expect it to focus on Commander Shepard – it’s a “brand-new story” taking place after the original trilogy in the same timeline.

Gamble signed off with the disclaimer that there’s “no secret game information to be gleaned by anything I’m saying today, I promise.” What an odd thing to say.

Regardless, development on the next Mass Effect has certainly been proceeding at a snail’s pace. With BioWare restructured and focused on the project, however, perhaps we may see more progress in the coming months or years. Whatever happens, hopefully Jennifer Hale, the voice of Fem Shep, returns in some capacity.

If anything is reassuring about the franchise, it’s that Jennifer Hale, who voiced Commander Shepard in the original trilogy, is willing to return. Speaking to IGN, the actor even clarified that it didn’t have to be the character she made famous.

“Anyone. I love that universe. I’m ready. Anytime. Krogan? Salarian? Turian? The possibilities are endless.” BioWare hasn’t contacted Hale about returning for the next game (and if it did, she would “be there before they finish the sentence”), although she has asked fans to express their desire for the same.

Regardless of her inclusion, it may be a while before the next Mass Effect launches. It was confirmed to be in pre-production as of February 2024, with rumors claiming it wouldn’t launch until 2029. Project director Michael Gamble confirmed that it would have a photorealistic art style and “maintain the mature tone” of the original trilogy, but that’s about it.

“Obviously one that comes up all the time is Mass Effect,” said King when asked about the projects that inspired Archetype Entertainment to make Exodus. “We obviously share some DNA. The epic space opera, the mega choices that carry over from game to game. Combat, we have a lot of stuff come up. Mass Effect, Horizon is probably another one we’ve drawn some inspiration from.”

While the Mass Effect inspiration might seem like a no-brainer for those aware of the development team behind Exodus and having seen its trailers, Horizon getting a shout-out might be more interesting. Robertson explained that Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series helped the studio figure out how to make elemental damage work in combat, as well as how to force players to make decisions about the things they are fighting.

“With Horizon, it’s that elemental aspect of combat, where you’ve got to make decisions based on the construction of the things that you’re fighting, and be smart about the tools that you use against it,” he explained. “There’s some cool things that we think we’ve pulled in from that.”

Interestingly, King also gives a shout out to seminal first-person metroidvania title Metroid Prime, noting that its focus on exploration helped the studio in how it structured out the worlds that players will get to explore in Exodus. “One of the things that really resonates is just like the exploration, hopping on a spaceship, kind of being out in the middle of nowhere. I kind of like the loneliness in that game. It just makes the environments really interesting.”

Exodus is being developed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release some time in 2026. The release window had been confirmed thanks to Archetype Entertainment’s parent company Hasbro making a note of it in its quarterly earnings report back in February. In the report, CEO Chris Cocks also said that Exodus will be the start of Hasbro’s push into self-publishing games.

“We have been investing in video games for over seven years through our portfolio of over a dozen projects in various stages of development coupled with 100+ licensing partnerships,” said Cocks. “I’m excited to show off our first project, Exodus, to the world when we launch it in 2026.”

In the meantime, check out details about one of the alien species that players will encounter during their time in Exodus – the Arkavir. In the game’s story, the Arkavir were designed to be the primary workforce for the Celestials in the Centauri Cluster while also being able to handle harsh and hostile environments. The Arkavir can also change up their physical form in order to make themselves more suited for specific harsh environments, from intense heat and unfathomable cold, to flesh-melting acid rain.