The Game Awards 2020 ended with a bang, revealing one major world premiere that no one saw coming with BioWare's Mass Effect taking the last trailer for the night.
This brand new trailer for Mass Effect was a little teaser, showcasing a fly-through of the Milky Way galaxy, passing through various nebulas and planets, and even a destroyed mass effect relay. We then cut to a snowy planet where a figure hikes on top of what appears to be a mountainside, before they stop and pick up a piece of metal through the snow. We then see the N7 logo, and the camera turns to show the profile of an Asari looking towards the sky, a small ship, and three other figures in the background. The Asari, by the way, bears some resemblance to fan-favorite character Liara.
The trailer ended with the Mass Effect logo, with the words will continue coming up across the screen at the bottom.
The trailer was not only a surprise, but the implications that it makes are major developments for the franchise. For one, it is clear that the game takes place after the Reaper War in Mass Effect 3, as we see not only the destroyed Mass Relay, but also a derelict Reaper on the snow planet far into the background. The presence of the Asari that looks like Liara is another major implication, suggesting that the next Mass Effect game will not be a sequel to Mass Effect: Andromeda at all, but rather a continuation of the original trilogy.
This also may mean something else that is major news, that BioWare may be making one of the endings to Mass Effect 3 canon.
The past week has been a wild ride for BioWare, with both Dragon Age lead Mark Darrah and studio head Casey Hudson leaving the company on the same day. BioWare did have a strong showing at the 2020 Game Awards, however, with not only the Mass Effect teaser, but a Dragon Age teaser also showcased. BioWare also announced back at N7 day last month a new Mass Effect was being planned, but no one expected a major teaser trailer like this so soon.
The new Mass Effect title is certainly a long ways off, but for now fans can prepare to relive the trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which is scheduled to come out next year.
