A remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy has been rumored for several months now, but with Mass Effect: Andromeda's Steam reviews better than expected, Dragon Age 4 and an Anthem overhaul in progress, it's clear that developer has been busy. And with a notable lack of news from BioWare or EA, some fans are beginning to lose hope that they’ll ever visit Commander Shepard's epic tale again (at least in a remastered vesion).
However, based on the announcements of past BioWare projects, not all hope is lost. With recent BioWare launches suffering from competition in supersaturated release windows and rushed development timelines, it’s no wonder the developer might hold back on such a hotly anticipated announcement, especially while continuing to develop some of its less financially reliable IPs. While a Mass Effect trilogy remaster may seem less likely now, there are good reasons why fans aren’t ruling it out quite yet.
Mass Effect Trilogy - Probably In the Works
There are still strong reasons to believe that a Mass Effect remastered trilogy is in the works. In May 2020, EA announced that it has 14 new games and switch ports in production for release before March 2021. That’s an ambitious release schedule, but considering it was information passed along in an earnings call, fans can expect that the funding is already in place for these releases in spite of any interruptions to EA’s developers caused by COVID-19.
Of these 14 games, there is already at least one remaster, the Command and Conquer collection released last month. Remasters are relatively cheap to produce in comparison to full games, and considering that the original Mass Effect trilogy was one its most critically and commercially successful releases, it would be unlikely that the remastered trilogy would be cut by EA for fear of it not selling well.
After the disappointing launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda, a remastered original trilogy could also provide a proof of the IP’s strength going forward, which will be necessary to ensure a smooth development process for Mass Effect 5. While Mass Effect 5 is already in development, Mass Effect: Andromeda's behind-the-scenes challenges showed the extent of the issues which can arise in that time, particularly in projects EA has less faith in, with the development being handed to a secondary team in Montreal and several leading developers quitting during production.
During these times of uncertainty, remastering the Mass Effect trilogy would be an easy pitch and a safe bet for BioWare at a moment when the developer’s once spotless record is under scrutiny, and a safe financial bet for EA considering the failure of BioWare’s Anthem, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in February to no celebration. Indeed, if any lessons have been learned from Anthem's rushed development, taking time with the remaster could be exactly what BioWare needs to get back to its prime.
Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster -When Will We See It?
Despite rumors circulating for several months now, a Mass Effect remaster was notably absent from EA Play’s announcements on June 18, 2020. Also a no-show, however, was Mass Effect 5 and Anthem and even BioWare's presumably next big release only made an appearance through the inclusion of several Dragon Age 4 teaser images.
It is entirely possible that EA is choosing to focus on Dragon Age 4 for BioWare because of the presumed success of a remastered Mass Effect trilogy, biding its time with the remaster to announce it at a more strategic moment in the year, essentially giving the developer a boost when needed. While E3 2020 is cancelled due COVID-19, there are still plenty of opportunities for EA to announce the remaster this year.
This includes N7 Day – November 7 – a day set aside by Mass Effect fans to celebrate the franchise, which would still leave 6 months of the fiscal year for the remaster to be marketed and released before May 2021. In addition, it would allow for further development and hype-building for Dragon Age 4, as well as some more time to recuperate from BioWare’s recent disappointments with the Anthem overhaul. Announcing later in the year would also help the remaster avoid competition with the hotly anticipated upcoming RPG from competitor CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077, scheduled to be released this November after a lengthy development and several delays.
Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster Has to Happen
The lack of recent news about the Mass Effect remaster has given fans as many reasons to be skeptical of the remaster rumors as excited by them. For many fans – and investors - it is the perfect time for a Mass Effect trilogy remaster, and it would be just what they need to reignite their faith in BioWare. A lack of immediate news may be disappointing to some for now, but may very well be on account of the expected financial strength of the remaster, causing it to be less prioritized compared to some of BioWare’s other upcoming endeavors.
With plenty more games coming from EA before the end of May 2021, however, hope should be far from lost. With the full original Mass Effect trilogy now on steam and selling well despite performance problems, it is evident that fans are returning to some of BioWare’s strongest releases during these times of turmoil. The question remains not whether fans will be playing the original trilogy during the next year, but whether BioWare and EA take full advantage of that by releasing a remastered edition, and how it will announce it without overshadowing some of its other upcoming releases.
The Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster is reportedly in development.