BioWare Will NOT Risk Repeating 'The Veilguard' Mistakes In Mass Effect 5

Five years have passed since BioWare showed off that tantalizing teaser for the next Mass Effect game at The Game Awards. Since then, fans have been examining every detail. In the almost two-minute trailer, a masked person, later identified as Liara T'Soni, dug up a battered N7 helmet in the snow, which led to a lot of talk about where the franchise is going next.

The project director for the next BioWare game, Mike Gamble, immediately stoked the flames by tweeting that the teaser was full of secrets. People with sharp eyes quickly saw the clear outline of a Reaper in the cold background, and Gamble confirmed that the huge machine was, in fact, a Reaper. From that, it looks like Mass Effect 5 will go back to the Milky Way and pick up where Mass Effect 3 left off with Commander Shepard's final battle.

The trailer shows Liara smiling as she takes off the famous N7 armor, which has led to many different theories. Does this scene happen on Earth? If so, could it be a direct follow-up to the first three books?

Fans were even more interested when they heard a faint "Godspeed" in the trailer. This is the same word that was used in Mass Effect: Andromeda's launch sequence. Gamble confirmed that this was a hidden Easter egg on purpose. This makes it more likely that Mass Effect 5 could connect the original trilogy to the Andromeda universe.

BioWare released concept art in 2020 called "Mudskipper". It showed a damaged ship and four people walking away. Fans started breaking down the silhouettes right away. Two of the figures look a lot like Drells and Salarians, and the third one looks exactly like an Angaran, which is an alien species that only lives in Andromeda. This means that the next game might bring back characters or races from Andromeda, maybe hundreds of years after what happened in Mass Effect 3.

They could line up since Liara is still alive and an Asari who can live for more than a thousand years. Putting together the stories of the Milky Way and Andromeda could create a really huge story canvas.

BioWare has been understandably quiet since the first trailer. In 2023, Gamble wrote a touching letter to his fans, assuring them that answers are on the way, albeit slowly. He made it clear that fans should only expect cryptic hints and not full reveals. He also said that the game is still a top priority.

Early in 2025, Electronic Arts said again that BioWare was still working on Mass Effect, even though the studio was busy with other projects. Some BioWare veterans, some of whom had worked on Mass Effect before, were let go by EA after Dragon Age: The Veilguard didn't do well.

Even with these problems, work on the new game is still ongoing, and sources confirm that it is still in pre-production. Most likely, work started on it around 2019, so we might have to wait a long time. Jeff Grubb, who works in the industry, says that the release window might not come until 2029.

Changes to the way you play may be one big change. Mass Effect: Andromeda tried out open-world elements, but Jez Corden of Windows Central says that BioWare is dropping those in favor of the more linear, story-driven structure that made the original trilogy famous. For many fans, that's good news—fewer empty planets and missions with clear goals sound like a win.

Gamble has also said that the new game will keep the mature tone and photorealistic style of the first three games. Fans were worried after Dragon Age's new art direction, so he reassured them, "Mass Effect is Mass Effect... and will be as long as I'm running it."

Gamble has left behind some interesting clues. He tweeted that people who bought the Mass Effect Legendary Edition should make sure to play the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC, which is a big part of the Liara story. This makes it very likely that Liara will be very important in Mass Effect 5, maybe even as the new Shadow Broker.

Another rumor said that Liara's presence in the teaser and her importance in previous games pretty much prove that she will play a major role in the next chapter. There have been rumors of other fan-favorite characters, like Garrus, Tali, and even a copy of Mordin, but nothing official has come out. Concept art gives us a hint of a Turrian silhouette, which keeps the rumors going.

Gamble also pushed fans toward the Citadel DLC, implying that the story's mood and bonds of friendship might affect how the new game makes you feel.

It makes sense that theories grow where hard facts are scarce. The trailer's Earth-like sky makes some fans think that the story will take place on Earth after the war. Some people think the game will take place hundreds of years later, which would let characters from Andromeda and Liara share screen time.

The most popular theory is still the one about time travel between the Milky Way and Andromeda. Based on the Godspeed Easter egg and the Angaran in concept art, it looks like BioWare may be planning for the two timelines to meet, or at least for the story to take both into account.

Another big question is whether the show's famous morality system will come back. While BioWare hasn't said for sure yet, leaks and insider information suggest that the Paragon and Renegade choices may be coming back. This moral framework was a central part of the first three books, and it affected not only choices but also the overall plots.

There are also rumors about new game features, such as possible co-op play (like Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode) or even VR support, though the latter is still just a rumor.

 In short, yes. Not soon at all.

The long answer is that work on it started in earnest around 2019, but insiders like Jeff Grubb think it won't come out until late in the decade, most likely around 2029. It was said that the teasers released on N7 Day in 2023 and 2024 were more about keeping fans interested than showing big steps forward.

Still, BioWare has made it clear that the game is going to happen. If they take their time to get it right, that could be the best thing that could happen after what went wrong with Andromeda.

Liara T'Soni is back. It starts or goes back to the Milky Way in the game. There is still the shadow of the Reaper. BioWare says the games will return to a more mature, photorealistic tone, and the company will put more emphasis on stories over large open worlds. After that, all we have are rumors, developer hints, and the hope that this much-loved series will make a triumphant return.

We can only look through teasers, watch the trailers again, play the Legendary Edition again, and follow the breadcrumbs that Mike Gamble left behind until BioWare shows us more. We know that the wait for Mass Effect is always worth it because of history.