Mass Effect 5 Just Got A Very Concerning Update
The original Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest RPG series of all-time, with Commander Shepherd's quest to stop galactic destruction at the hands of the Reapers now burned into the minds of a generation of players. Though Andromeda obviously wasn't the continuation fans were hoping for, there was still plenty of optimism when it was confirmed that Mass Effect 5 was in development.
Though we've all been rightly working under the assumption that the game is years away, production ramped up after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Unfortunately, there have been some major changes since then, and one in particular could jeopardize our chances of ever playing another game in the beloved sci-fi series.
As first reported by IGN, a former EA manager has cast doubt on whether Mass Effect 5 will make it through the company's recent $55 billion takeover. In case you missed it, EA was recently sold to a heady mix of an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners.
Now, former EA senior manager Emmanuel Rosier has sat down with PC Gamer to discuss the move, and it doesn't bode well for Mass Effect fans.
"In the middle, you have these IPs like the BioWare IPs. They've been struggling as a studio, as a brand have been struggling in recent years, and I don't know if they will keep funding that one. I think that's the biggest question mark for me," Rozier claimed.
When asked about Mass Effect being allowed to continue regardless, Rozier remains unconvinced, saying, "I will believe it when I see it, the next Mass Effect game, let's put it that way. I've worked many years with BioWare, sometimes it can stretch for years and years until something comes. I think everything can happen at this moment. They can pull the plug very, very easily. And if the new investor, they don't have that many feelings about the history of the portfolio, they will take the most financially sound decision most probably."
However you feel about the games themselves, it really is becoming fairly tiresome seeing huge investors come in and pull the rug out from under the feet of hardworking developers with a genuine passion for the industry. We can hope that Mass Effect 5 doesn't fall victim to that same level of soul-crushing corporatism, but the past tells us not to get too carried away at the potential of a happy future.