It’s been a hectic few years for BioWare, to say the least. Between the haphazard development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and news of the EA buyout, many employees were uncertain of the studio’s future prospects. With all this, it’s no surprise there are rumors of Mass Effect 5‘s quiet cancellation. But it seems for now, the studio is continuing work on the franchise’s fifth entry. The update came from series Executive Producer Mike Gamble, in a blog post on (appropriately) N7 Day.
“Setting the Record Straight”
BioWare has been sparing with news regarding the fifth Mass Effect game. The last major update came in 2023, with new character art shared on the company’s Twitter/X profile. While a blog post appeared on N7 Day 2024, it mainly focused on merchandise and cross-promotions with No Man’s Sky and Destiny 2. But with the tumultuous atmosphere surrounding EA and its studios, Gamble has clarified where the next Mass Effect game is in development.
“Like you, we’ve heard the rumors lately. 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 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. Until then, thank you for your patience because y’all are thirsty for news and I see you looking for secret meaning in my tweets (okay, sometimes they have secret meaning).“
Reduced Headcount at BioWare
For those following BioWare closely, the studio’s slow pace on ME5 shouldn’t come as a surprise. In an interview from earlier this year, former producer Mark Darrah opened up about his time at the company with MrMattyPlays. One of the core challenges BioWare faced during his time was securing more employees for projects. EA was reluctant to hire new developers if there was no guarantee they would find new projects to work on. This, combined with the publisher directing BioWare to work on multiple projects at once, meant the studio was overworked and spread too thin. Rumor has it that the current headcount at BioWare numbers fewer than 100 employees.
But in the wake of Veilguard’s launch, it seems BioWare finally has the time and manpower to focus on Mass Effect. Aside from the new game, Gamble also hyped up the television series in development at Amazon. The series is to be set after the original trilogy, focusing on a new story separate from Commander Shepard. Though it may be a little while before the show and the new game appears, Mass Effect fans can rest easy for now. They haven’t been abandoned just yet.
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