The Mass Effect TV series will 'explore a brand-new story within the universe’s timeline,' BioWare exec says: 'It won’t be a retread of Commander Shepard's story'

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Mass Effect chief Michael Gamble didn't have much to say about the next game in the series in today's N7 Day update, but he did throw some new light on the Mass Effect TV series being developed by Amazon.

"I haven't talked about it much, but you might have heard a little something about a TV series?" Gamble wrote. "We've been partnering closely with Amazon on it, and we're really excited with what the talented team over there is coming up with.

"The writers room is going strong, and we've got a lot figured out about how it fits within the Mass Effect canon, and where it sits in respect to the new game. The show will explore a brand-new story within the universe's timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy. It won’t be a retread of Commander Shepard’s story—because after all … that's YOUR story, isn't it?"

A Variety report on N7 Day 2024 confirmed that the Mass Effect series had officially entered development: I'm not intimately familiar with the ins and outs of television production but a full year from that to "we're figuring out how it fits with the games" seems like kind of a languid pace to me. And that's fine—as with videogames, I'd rather wait for something good than have something right now that sucks—but it does suggest to me that it's going to be a good while yet before we see a debut date announcement (or anything else).

Even though things don't seem to be fully nailed down just yet, it is interesting that BioWare and Amazon are opting to move away from the story that underpins one of the most famous videogame trilogies of all time. BioWare previously tried that with Mass Effect: Andromeda, and yes, being an absolute Gong Show on the technical side certainly helped bring it low. But I've never shaken the feeling that Shepard and company are essential to its success. That seemed to be reflected in previous teases for the next Mass Effect game, which featured an asari who is almost certain Liara T'Soni, one of the central NPCs of the original trilogy.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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