The video for “Mass Effect: Universe” shows familiar species and space travel. IGN verified the in-engine footage from the canceled project.
A new trailer for Mass Effect 5—which was canceled yesterday—had apparently already been completed before EA shut down the entire studio—and has now been leaked.
This was originally revealed in a post on the subreddit for the Texas city of Austin, where BioWare operated a branch. A supposed EA employee wrote there: “I saw a finished trailer for Mass Effect 5 a few months ago. That’s why I’m extremely surprised at how ‘early’ development is supposedly still supposed to be.”
IGN Confirms Reports: A Release-Ready Trailer Already Existed
While anyone could make such claims at first, according to information from IGN, a video for the fifth installment that was ready for release was indeed available internally.
In the meantime, the trailer in question has also surfaced online, and according to IGN, its authenticity has been verified.
The clip reveals the project name “Mass Effect: Universe” and displays the following note at the beginning: “The following in-engine footage comes from our small development team and uses assets from pre-production.”
The trailer showcases numerous familiar elements, including well-known weapons, biotic powers, and alien species from previous installments in the series. It also offers brief glimpses of a romance scene, a mass portal, spaceflight, and a nightclub.
The fact that, according to EA, the project was still in an “early stage of development” came as both a surprise and a shock. Mass Effect 5 was announced back in December 2020 at The Game Awards, and even then, the studio had already mentioned that it was in a very early stage of production. Six years later, the game is history.
50 developers affected: Austin location likely spared
According to Bloomberg, following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, around 50 employees at BioWare were working on the new Mass Effect installment. Company-wide, a total of 400 jobs are reportedly being cut.
The BioWare office in Austin is reportedly spared from the layoffs and is expected to support other EA productions in the future.
A Bitter Farewell Ahead of N7 Day: Vision Was Meant to Surpass Baldur’s Gate 3
The end of BioWare and Mass Effect 5 is particularly bitter in light of the upcoming N7 Day on November 7, when the studio traditionally celebrated the series each year.
The team apparently had big ambitions for the new installment and wanted to surpass even heavyweights like Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Witcher 3. Meanwhile, the entire industry is mourning the loss and also voicing criticism of publisher EA.
