Fans mourn what could have been.
The gaming community was left distraught two days ago following BioWare's complete closure under Electronic Arts (EA) and the subsequent cancellation of its in-development Mass Effect 5.
It marked a painful end to an almost decade-long wait, with fans eagerly anticipating the fifth instalment since Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in 2017. The project had reportedly been six years in the making before it was cancelled for good.
A purportedly leaked trailer for the game surfaced earlier today, offering a stunning glimpse of what could have been: including a presumably new protagonist and a returning favourite character.
What is shown in the Mass Effect 5 leaked trailer?
In a Reddit post, a user shared a link to a “leaked trailer” allegedly obtained from a developer, showcasing more than two minutes of footage.
“The following is in-engine footage from our small team. It uses our pre-production assets,” a disclaimer reads at the beginning. The trailer introduces what appears to be a new protagonist, an ex-military man, who walks into a space bar and is approached by an unknown Asari. She asks why he left the military, prompting flashbacks of the presumed protagonist in combat.
“By the time you put out one fire, another had already started,” he replies. When the Asari asks what changed, he alludes to a “new line of work” where he makes “the choices no one else is willing to make” and goes “where others are afraid to go” to stop fires before they even start.
The Asari then whispers in his ear in an antagonistic tone, “Be careful… I start the fires.” A familiar voice responds from behind her: “We know.” The speaker is revealed to be Dr Liara T'Soni, who adds, “That's why we're here.”
A fight breaks out in the space bar before the trailer reveals the title: Mass Effect: Universe. With the promising leaked trailer for the purported Mass Effect: Universe, it’s heartbreaking that the game won’t see the light of day.
Why did EA cancel Mass Effect 5?
Mass Effect is a beloved sci-fi RPG franchise that debuted in 2007 to critical acclaim, followed by the even more successful Mass Effect 2 in 2010. Although the later entries received a more mixed response from fans, demand for another instalment never disappeared.
Following the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017, fans waited three years before BioWare finally announced a new entry in November 2020, accompanied by a teaser trailer at The Game Awards that December.
Unfortunately, the game never materialised, as production seemingly dwindled before EA ultimately shut down BioWare. This came after the Saudi-led buyout at EA, with the company reportedly shifting its focus to other projects, including Apex Legends, a new The Sims experience, and its sports franchises.
At least the Mass Effect TV series is still moving forward, giving fans something to look forward to.
