In a recent blog post, BioWare declared that the next Mass Effect title is still in the works, albeit still in the prototyping stage. Fans of the iconic sci-fi saga will have to probably wait quite a bit before seeing the next chapter ready for release.
The Mass Effect series was born in 2007 from the minds of Canadian developer BioWare, since then becoming one of the most successful franchises in the history of action role-playing games. The saga is famous for having a deep and engaging companion system, as well as featuring a wide array of plot-impacting choices. The first three games focus on the efforts of Commander Shepard to save the galaxy from a race of ancient machines known as the Reapers, doing so by working with the various alien species inhabiting the galaxy; the latest installment, Mass Effect: Andromeda, featured a new setting, but t didn't reach the success of its predecessors.
BioWare General Manager Gary McKay dedicated an official blog post to the ongoing work on Dragon Age 4, adding a few precious details on the development status of the new Mass Effect. In his words, the next chapter of the sci-fi saga is still in a prototyping phase, being worked on by a veteran team led by Mike Gamble, and will take a long time to be finished. The long development anticipated is, probably, also the result of Mass Effect switching to the Unreal Engine.
First announced in 2019 to be in very-early stage of development, the next Mass Effect was expected to be trailing behind Dragon Age 4, and there are reasons for the long waiting time. Not only is a AAA title inherently time-consuming to develop, but BioWare is likely putting extreme care in the next chapter of the saga, the disastrous debut of Andromeda being a fresh memory.
The Mass Effect games pride themselves in having one of the most satisfying companionship systems, including interspecies romancing possibilities, while being titles with great longevity. The original trilogy, which has been recently remastered, is an evergreen candidate for a replay, considering the sheer amount of choices, side quests, and different endings one can experience across the three games.
It appears it will be a long time before we'll see Mass Effect on the shelves, and the hope is that it will return the series to its former glory. Indeed, one can only imagine the difficulties in keeping up with expectations when working on a new chapter of one of the most influential sci-fi games ever produced.