Role-playing game developer BioWare has traditionally shared new teases, updates, or messages to the Mass Effect player community on November 7, or "N7 Day," reflecting the in-game designation for special operatives.
For N7 Day 2025, BioWare declined to share any new tidbits about its next game, instead simply reiterating that the game is coming, pushing back against recent online chatter that it's in trouble or will be cancelled.
"You’ve made it clear you care deeply about what’s next. So let’s start by setting the record straight: the next Mass Effect game is in development, and EA and BioWare remain committed to telling more stories in this universe," the statement reads.
"The truth is, the last few years have been an incredibly busy time at BioWare. But currently, the team is heads-down and focused exclusively on Mass Effect. We have a lot of universe to cover, lots of features to build, and lots of romances to figure out. We’re excited by what we’re building, and we promise you: when we’re ready, it’ll be a lot of fun to show."
This comes as Electronic Arts' (EA's) overall game division has seen a turbulent past few months. At the start of the year, BioWare was subjected to layoffs, reducing the studio down to under 100 staff.
In April, hundreds of additional workers were laid off, including some at Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi developer Respawn Entertainment. More cuts came shortly after, with EA cancelling a Black Panther game and closing the developer.
Now, EA has agreed to go private in a deal financed by private equity and Saudi Arabian investment, leading to concerns over the tone and content present in future games, as well as fears of additional cuts.
While the next Mass Effect game was first announced with a teaser back in 2020, extremely little has been shared since then. BioWare did present a new teaser for N7 Day 2023, which showed off a new character design and hinted towards a possible game title of Epsilon (or Mass Effect 5, in a more literal sense).
Some updates on the Mass Effect TV series, and a cryptic message
While there are no new tidbits regarding what players can expect from the next Mass Effect game, BioWare's update does shed some light on the long-gestating Mass Effect TV series in production at Amazon.
We now know that the series will take place after the events of the original trilogy, and it is not going to be a retelling of the story of Commander Shepard.
This is similar in approach to the Fallout TV series (which was also produced by Amazon), which is set years after the events of Fallout 4. I previously argued it would be a mistake to try and have a "canon" Commander Shepard and accompanying choices in the TV series, so I'm certainly happy to see BioWare confirm things won't go that way.
Finally, there's a curious pattern scattered throughout the message. A few letters of different words in BioWare's blog post are italicized, and put together, they spell out "URL KROGAN."
Combined with a vague post on X (formerly Twitter) from the official Mass Effect account, some players quickly figured out that it linked to a new piece of artwork, presenting a Krogan civil War.
The Krogan are easily my favorite race in the Mass Effect universe, so I'm already speculating about just what this event could entail.
As for the message itself, while I certainly understand what BioWare is aiming to do here, it's still hard not to feel worried. I wish the team the best, and I hope things go well in the months and years to come.
FAQ
Does the next Mass Effect game have a release date?
No, the next Mass Effect game does not have a release date or even the vaguest window. Extremely little is known at this time.
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