Though Mass Effect 4 had been rumored for quite a while, it wasn’t until The Game Awards 2020 that its existence was confirmed. The reveal trailer intentionally showed two different galaxies and one fan-favorite asari, Liara T’Soni. Not much is known about the upcoming title, but it could mean big things for the Mass Effect franchise. There are tons of theories about what plotline Mass Effect 4 will tackle, including some concerning whether Commander Shepard will return and if Mass Effect: Andromeda will factor into the new game. Regardless, there’s one thing that’s probably certain about Mass Effect 4 — it’ll be a long time until fans get their hands on it.
While this may seem like bad news on the surface, it’s actually really good for both the game and the franchise. Mass Effect fans already have the Mass Effect Legendary Edition to look forward to in the coming months which will supply them with hours of gameplay. Mass Effect Legendary Edition is not only all three games but almost all DLC released for them as well. The Legendary Edition will definitely keep players busy for a long time, which is good for the development of Mass Effect 4.
It’s not uncommon for big developers to have multiple teams working on different projects. Previously, BioWare had a small team working on Anthem 2.0 which was unfortunately canceled not too long ago. Within the cancelation announcement, Christian Dailey, the new executive producer of Dragon Age 4, stated that the developer needed to focus on its upcoming titles and updates to Star Wars: The Old Republic.
BioWare knows what a massive following the Mass Effect franchise has, and it may still need to redeem itself from Mass Effect: Andromeda. While later Steam reviews put Andromeda in a more positive light, BioWare still has to atone for the state the game was in at launch. With a dedicated team working on Mass Effect 4, there’s a chance that there will be fewer leadership changes than in past years.
The developer has a history of key players in a game’s development being changed and replaced — it’s part of what led to Anthem’s initial downfall. If there is a dedicated, unwavering team working on Mass Effect 4, it’s possible a clear vision for the game will be realized sooner rather than later. A team with a sound structure will hopefully produce a game that’s complete and only needs updates for minor bug fixes, not game-breaking ones.
Hopefully, Anthem’s release and Anthem 2.0’s cancelation opened the developer’s eyes to its reliance on “BioWare Magic.” For those unfamiliar, “BioWare Magic” is the term given to BioWare’s uncanny ability to start and finish a complete video game during its crunch period. This “Magic” worked to the developer’s advantage with games like Dragon Age: Origins and the entire Mass Effect trilogy, but sadly became the norm for its development process.
BioWare definitely isn’t the only developer to utilize crunch time for more than finishing touches, but Anthem truly showed when the “Magic” ran dry. With Mass Effect 4 on the horizon, it’s important the developer steers away from relying on crunch time to build an entire game. Having a dedicated team that doesn’t change leadership too much or change the initial vision of the game will help ease the reliance on “BioWare Magic.” If not, the results could not only anger fans but hurt the company as well.
Mass Effect 4 is probably years away, as it should be. The last thing fans want is a game that feels rushed or incomplete. It’s also doubtful that the developer wants to produce anything less than a game that it’s proud of. Mass Effect fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, but Mass Effect 4 shouldn’t be part of that equation.
Mass Effect 4 is currently in development.
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