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Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games.
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Oct. 21 was a rough day for Mass Effect fans, as EA announced that it would be closing its development studio BioWare and canceling the fifth installment in the series. At least, the franchise isn't vanishing entirely. Amazon MGM has not pulled the plug on the upcoming Mass Effect TV series, which will move forward.
Mass Effect 5 was announced to be in the early stages of development in 2020. The EA buyout was finalized in August 2026, putting it in the hands of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and the investment firm Silver Lake. This made the future of the Mass Effect series uncertain, with former EA employees stating that the PIF would move the company's focus to sports games and likely leave behind struggling studios, such as BioWare, and their IPs. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
The Mass Effect TV show marches on
EA has shut down BioWare and canceled the Mass Effect game that was currently in development. With this, fans were certain that this would be the end of Mass Effect altogether — the games, as well as Amazon MGM's upcoming TV series, which has been in the works since 2024. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case. According to IGN, the Mass Effect series being made for Prime Video is still in development. Those involved remain on board, including showrunners Doug Jung and Daniel Casey, and producers Mike Gamble, Karim Zreik, Ari Arad, and Jessica Jones.
Mass Effect is a beloved sci-fi universe with incredible world-building and an emotional narrative that makes it easy for players to establish deep connections with its complex characters. At this point, Mass Effect's continuation depends on EA wanting to sell the IP and another company's willingness to pick it up. Even though the TV series will not be based on Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew, the universe's lore is interesting enough to allow writers to easily create a new protagonist and characters that will capture fans' interest. If the show generates enough hype about Mass Effect, a strong offer might follow.
Nov. 7, known as N7 Day, is a special day for Mass Effect fans, as there are usually announcements and reveals about the franchise. This year's N7 Day will be particularly sad, but maybe we will get some TV series details to cheer us up.