The Future of Mass Effect Is Bigger Than Just Games
Though the end of Bioware likely means the end of Mass Effect games, there's still a whole storytelling universe out there to explore.
On October 21 of this year, Mass Effect fans were sent reeling by the news that EA decided to shutter studio BioWare, meaning that the beloved sci-fi gaming franchise – alongside DragonAge and who knows how many future projects – were brought to an end. In the weeks since the announcement, fans and actors associated with Mass Effect have launched an online campaign to try and make sure the series lives on. Those fans are in luck, as Prime Video is still slated to bring a Mass Effect TV project to life. A recent report from IGN confirmed that the series is still in development at Prime Video, despite BioWare’s closure.
Those fans will also be happy to learn that a wealth of creative talent is helping bring Mass Effect to a medium that it’s always been a great fit for. The writing team includes Doug Jung and Dan Casey, who are no stranger to blockbuster franchises; Jung co-wrote Star Trek Beyond a.k.a. the height of Star Trek’s “Kelvin Timeline” trilogy, and Casey is involved with the Fast and Furious franchise. This all hints that Mass Effect will bring the same sense of character development and galaxy spanning action to television that made the games so beloved.
Perhaps the most promising creative avenue the series is taking is the decision to set its story after the events of the original Mass Effect trilogy, which opens up so many storytelling possibilities. Some fans feared that a Mass Effect movie or television show would try to recapture the story of the original games, which would take away the element of choice that makes Mass Effect so great.
Former BioWare exec Mike Gamble put it best on his personal blog in 2025: “The writers room is going strong, and we’ve got a lot figured out about how it fits within the Mass Effect canon, and where it sits in respect to the new game. The show will explore a brand-new story within the universe’s timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy. It won’t be a retread of Commander Shepard’s story – because after all … that’s YOUR story, isn’t it?”
That makes sense, especially given how Mass Effect 3 ended. No matter what choice Commander Shepard makes concerning the Crucible, the fallout will destroy the “mass relays” that allow interstellar travel, effectively altering the state of the universe. Jung, Casey, and the creative team have a new story to explore, and a way to bring in new characters that have been positively or negatively affected by Shepard’s decision.
By keeping Mass Effect in development, Prime Video is hoping to capture the same magic that made Fallout a huge hit (ditto for the upcoming God of War series). But it’s also carrying the future of an entire franchise on its shoulders. If Prime Video plays its cards right, the legacy of Mass Effect will live on and give fans a new story that builds upon their beloved games.