The next Mass Effect game has officially left conceptualization and pre-production phases to enter full production.
In a community update earlier today, developer BioWare confirmed that “the next game in the Mass Effect universe is now early in development” and hence, it will be quite a while before any details or footage are shared with the public.
Back in February, general manager Gary McKay stated that BioWare was “actively prototyping new ideas and experiences” for the next Mass Effect game. He added that the game will “take a long time to make” while assuring BioWare will not rush development. The developer will prioritize quality over everything else.
The fan-dubbed Mass Effect 5 is believed to be running on Unreal Engine 4 or higher. BioWare has apparently ditched Frostbite Engine in order to not repeat the same technical nightmare it faced with Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem.
The new Mass Effect game was announced in December 2020 with a teaser trailer and a batch of concept art. The game will be a sequel to the original trilogy, confirming that publisher Electronic Arts wants to bury Andromeda which was supposed to launch its own trilogy.
BioWare has assured that all fan feedback received in the past is being taken into consideration for the new installment. The developer also intends to involve fans during development once certain milestones are hit.
Mass Effect 5, or whatever the game gets called, will not see the light of day for at least another three or four years. Fans will have to be really patient but if they are still itching to head back to the Citadel, they can pick up Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
The compilation features the remastered versions of all three games in the trilogy with several visual enhancements, technical improvements, and gameplay adjustments. The first Mass Effect game in particular receive a lot of upgrades.
