After hearing the disappointing news that EA has shuttered BioWare, putting an end to two of my favorite RPG franchises—Mass Effect and Dragon Age—I have been, like so many other players, feeling pretty bummed out. But I consoled myself with the fact that, given the environment at BioWare in recent years, the now-canceled Mass Effect 5 probably wouldn't be that good anyway.
Like many players, I enjoyed the Mass Effect trilogy, but felt that Mass Effect: Andromeda fell short. Similarly, BioWare's other recent titles—Anthem and Dragon Age: The Veilguard—struggled with messy development cycles marked by frequent changes in direction, mixed messages from higher-ups at EA, constant staff turnover, and other issues that ultimately led to an underwhelming gaming experience. After playing Veilguard, which felt nothing like the Dragon Age games I had grown to love, my hopes weren't too high for Mass Effect 5. The news of its cancellation (and BioWare's subsequent shutdown) was a huge bummer, though I'd rather Mass Effect go out on a relatively high note than see it get the Veilguard treatment. But then I saw the trailer.
Uploaded to Reddit earlier today, the trailer has not been verified as real by BioWare, but it doesn't appear to bear any hallmarks of generative AI, and a short message before the trailer begins implies it was planned to debut at a later date—perhaps N7 Day, or The Game Awards.
"The following is in-engine footage from our small team," reads the text displayed before the trailer begins. "It uses our pre-production assets."
What follows is one of the most exciting game trailers I've seen in years. We learn the name of the game—Mass Effect: Universe—and meet the male version of its protagonist (though given the history of the franchise, it's likely players would have been able to play as whatever gender they prefer).
This nameless protagonist is in a bar, flirting heavily with an Asari. After some additional romantic banter, our protagonist explains that he and his crew "put out fires." Something in the Asari's eyes changes after she hears this. She leans forward, whispering to the protagonist that he should be careful, as she happens to prefer starting fires. It seems this Asari was planning to double-cross our protagonist in some way, but as soon as she's admitted her villainous intentions, the protagonist's crew (all lurking undercover nearby) reveal themselves one by one. A fight breaks out, and we catch a glimpse of the protagonist's combat abilities, interspersed with brief clips from other parts of the game, including a romance scene. The protagonist fights off Krogan and Turian enemies, blasting them with anti-gravity fields and gunfire alike. The trailer ends with a black screen that reads, "Coming soon."
On paper, this trailer might sound similar to the first real look we got at Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a trailer that also ended in a bar fight. But there's one massive difference between these two trailers: tone. Where Veilguard's bar fight trailer introduced a controversial new art style to the franchise and featured loads of quippy, goofy, MCU-style dialogue, Mass Effect: Universe's bar fight trailer feels dangerous, intriguing, and sexy. It feels like Mass Effect; it draws you in and instantly makes you want to learn more.
And that is, perhaps, the most heartbreaking part of all of this: We will almost certainly never learn more about this game, as EA has unceremoniously slit the throat of the studio that created it. EA also may prefer not to sell the Mass Effect IP off to another company, as it has a rather storied history of saying, "No, we're not making this game, but nobody else is allowed to make it, either."
While it's impossible to determine the quality of a game solely from one trailer, and there's no telling what kind of shape Mass Effect: Universe might have launched in, one thing is very clear: The Mass Effect: Universe team was working hard to right the ship after Mass Effect: Andromeda's tepid reception, and based on what can be seen in the trailer, they were doing a damn good job of it. The fact that they weren't given the opportunity to finish their work is devastating, both for the developers themselves, and the many players who were eagerly waiting to dive back into a franchise they love dearly.
At least we've still got the Mass Effect TV show to look forward to, I guess.