- An alleged former BioWare developer has leaked the trailer for "Mass Effect Universe"
- The cinematic trailer has been verified as real and features "in-engine footage" and "pre-production assets"
- Fans are hoping the game can be saved following BioWare's closure
A first look at the next Mass Effect game has leaked online following its cancelation and BioWare's closure, and fans are in an uproar, with many hoping for a revival.
One day after EA permanently shuttered the legendary developer behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, an alleged former BioWare employee leaked the Mass Effect 5 trailer on Reddit, and sadly, it looks amazing.
The cinematic trailer for "Mass Effect Universe" begins with text that reads, "The following is in-engine footage from our small team. It uses our pre-production assets." It then showcases a new protagonist, who appears to be an ex-soldier, in settings familiar to the series with a spy-thriller vibe.
We also see Liara T'Soni alongside new characters who appear to be companions, including a male Quarian, enemy encounters, and some awesome-looking action.
Now verified by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier as a real trailer for the game BioWare was developing up until its closure, the teaser has rocked the internet and sparked even more backlash against EA.
"I'm crying," one fan said on X. This is everything I wanted. They were a lot farther than we thought. F*** EA."
Another wrote, "This is absurd. These developers deserve for their years of work to see the light of day. They were clearly f***** cooking something special. Save BioWare. Save Mass Effect."
Mass Effect Universe may be dead, but fans hope the project will be revived, with a Change.org petition called "#SaveMassEffect" now live and holding over 45,799 signatures as of writing.
Fans are also speculating the leak could be a publicity stunt to save BioWare and the game, similar to how the Deadpool movie was revived after actor Ryan Reynolds personally leaked the test footage to the public.
"The alleged Mass Effect Universe trailer looks incredible," a fan account said. "We personally believe this could be a 'Deadpool-style' leak, intended to generate public pressure and potentially give the cancelled project a second chance. Could this be an attempt to save Mass Effect?"
BioWare's closure came as part of EA's first major restructuring plan that led to 400 layoffs across the publisher's studios, including "50-ish" of the remaining people at BioWare, according to former cinematic supervisor Tony de Waal.
De Waal spoke out about Mass Effect 5's cancelation after being laid off and said, "I believe we were making something special: a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match."