January 27th 2025.
Liara had been the one character who had been constantly present in the Mass Effect franchise. It's been 15 years since the release of Mass Effect 2 and fans have been eagerly waiting for the next installment. BioWare, known for its critically acclaimed RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, had made a name for itself with the original Mass Effect trilogy.
The series had started in 2007 but it was the second game that had truly catapulted it to fame. The third game, although not as well-received due to its controversial ending, was still considered a success compared to the disappointment that was Mass Effect: Andromeda. As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Mass Effect 2 this week, fans are eagerly anticipating the return of the Normandy crew in the upcoming fifth installment.
But why has the new game taken so long to come out? Let's take a look at all the information we have on the development of Mass Effect 4. It was in November 2020 when BioWare finally announced the new Mass Effect game with a piece of concept art. At the time, the studio's vice president Casey Hudson had mentioned that they were still in the early stages of the project.
A month later, a short trailer was released at The Game Awards, featuring the original trilogy's beloved character Liara T'Soni. The teaser ended with the promise that Mass Effect will continue. Since then, there have been a few updates on the game's progress. In April 2022, BioWare stated that the next Mass Effect was still in the early stages of development and it would be a while before they could share more details.
Later that year, a creepy audio teaser was released, featuring Liara having a conversation with the Geth. In the following years, BioWare clarified that they were still in pre-production with a core team of veteran storytellers. However, with the focus now on their upcoming game Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it's uncertain when we'll see anything substantial from the new Mass Effect.
On N7 Day in 2023, the studio shared more concept art and a brief teaser, but it was still vague on details, indicating that the game was still a few years away. Mass Effect franchise director Mike Gamble also commented on the game's progress, stating that it will maintain the mature tone of the original trilogy and will have a photorealistic look compared to Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
However, there have been some setbacks in the game's development, with several senior staff members leaving BioWare in the past few years. This includes boss Casey Hudson and Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah. Recently, it was also announced that the director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Corinne Busche, had left the studio for another opportunity.
Darrah also mentioned in a video on his YouTube channel that the next Mass Effect isn't ready to have a large team working on it yet. He explained that in the past, when BioWare was working on just one project, the team was able to put all their resources into it, but that's not the case with Mass Effect 4, as it is still in pre-production.
As for the release date, nothing has been confirmed yet. Insider Jeff Grubb had suggested in 2023 that the game might not be released until 2029. With no updates on the game's progress, it's uncertain when we'll hear more about it. The next potential update might come at the Summer Game Fest or on N7 Day in 2025. So, fans will have to be patient as the wait for the next Mass Effect game continues.
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