The gaming world was shocked when Electronic Arts announced major shifts within the company. One of the biggest pieces of news to come from it was the closure of the beloved studio BioWare, who were responsible for multiple role-playing game classics. But as the legendary studio is shut down, a trailer for what they were working on leaked online.
In a reddit post that spread around very quickly, an internal trailer for the next Mass Effect game was leaked online. The game was titled Mass Effect: Universe, and was the next main entry of the series from BioWare. Although Electronic Arts has no plans of continuing development on the game, the trailer gives fans a look at what could have been.
The trailer opens with a short statement saying that it was made using pre-production assets, with in-engine footage. What follows is a montage of scenes bundled together with familiar aspects that Mass Effect fans would recognize. A new ship that is reminiscent of the Normandy is shown in space near a relay, cities and alien creatures, and a new protagonist speaking with a potential new ally.
The combat on display is also similar to previous Mass Effect games, with different powers and weapons being shown in battle. Interactions with other characters, including all kinds of alien friends and foes, would have played a major role in the game. While the story itself isn’t fully clear for what Mass Effect: Universe would have players doing, it would have been action-packed.
Before the announcement of the studio shutdown, BioWare was working on Mass Effect Universe for a long time. The reveal of the game was made during The Game Awards in December 2020, where Electronic Arts stated the series would continue. Prior to that, Mass Effect Andromeda had failed to resonate with fans after the completion of BioWare’s original trilogy.
While gamers won’t be seeing Mass Effect: Universe completed and released, it doesn’t mean there won’t be more Mass Effect beyond that. Amazon MGM Studios is still making the Mass Effect television series for Prime Video, which is said to take place after the events of the Mass Effect trilogy of games from BioWare. So far, no release date or other plot details about the series are known.
