In what was by far the biggest turn of the evening, the next Mass Effect game was revealed with a story teaser at the The Game Awards 2020 that brings back fan-favorite character Liara T’soni from the original trilogy. It was only recently that the sequel was quietly announced by BioWare, so many didn’t expect to see such a substantial look at the upcoming title by the end of the year.
Following the announcement of the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition remaster trilogy, BioWare also acknowledged that a new mainline story in the franchise’s sci-fi epic universe has also been in the works. It was a rather humble announcement to append to news about remasters that most series die-hards have already experienced, and it painted a picture of the new game potentially being multiple years away. However, it seems that the EA studio played its cards just right, as tonight’s surprise trailer blew unexpectant fans’ socks right off.
To cap off The Game Awards 2020’s night of reveals, BioWare’s first-ever trailer for the next Mass Effect entry was the mic-drop moment of the entire event. In the gorgeous CG teaser below, viewers were treated to plenty of fan service, including the game’s possible setting in the Milky Way galaxy, the return of original trilogy party member and romance option Liara T’Soni, and possible hints about the fate of former protagonist Commander Shepard after Mass Effect 3‘s ending.
Opening on a beautifully rendered shot of the Milky Way galaxy, the trailer quickly zooms through the stars (and possibly time), showing what appears to be the arrival of the Reapers and the aftermath of Mass Effect 3‘s ending that resulted in the destruction of the Mass Relays, which allowed for near-instant space travel that not even FTL travel can match. After Mass Effect: Andromeda was keen to escape the original setting in order to avoid the potential story complications of a post-Mass Relay galaxy, it seems the in-progress sequel may more deeply explore the consequences of the ending for Milky Way residents. Far and away the biggest breadcrumbs of the trailer are a hooded Liara discovering a piece of N7 armor in the snow on an unknown planet before looking off to a familiar-looking squad of humanoids, hinting that Commander Shepard may be alive.
It’s not clear when players will see more and important to remember that nothing is set in stone during early phases of development, but – as the trailer promises – the gaming world now knows that Mass Effect will continue, possibly right where fans left off in 2012. Players were notoriously unhappy with the base game and DLC’s ending state of things in Mass Effect 3, so BioWare is no doubt keen to make up for that franchise mishap and so much lost time in the next Mass Effect.
