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Jason Schreier from Bloomberg has confirmed the authenticity of the leaked footage, also revealing the project name: Mass Effect Universe. The game was in development until the very day of BioWare’s studio closure and was subsequently cancelled.
The video, shared in the r/masseffect community under the title Mass Effect: Universe, suggests an evolution from the original trilogy. Early user interpretations indicate that the game would have moved away from epic storytelling centered on the war against the Reapers to embrace more espionage-oriented themes, featuring undercover operations and a threat of apparently smaller scale.
Mass Effect Universe: why it matters
Two elements of the footage particularly caught attention: what appears to be Liara T’Soni and the return of the Normandy. These details would suggest a direct connection with the original trilogy and a possible return to the Milky Way after the events of Mass Effect 3.
However, subreddit moderators clarified that they could not confirm the origin of the video nor establish when it was made or how accurately it reflected the creative direction taken by the team. The authenticity of the Mass Effect: Universe footage has not been independently verified.
Schreier confirmed on Twitter that this is a real trailer for the Mass Effect game BioWare was developing until its closure the previous day. The project had been in active development up to that point but was halted with the decision to close the studio.
What changes and what are the effects
The footage showed elements suggesting a change of direction compared to the original trilogy, shifting toward tones more similar to espionage and an apparently less vast threat. It remains to be clarified when the video was made and how much it reflected the development team’s final vision.
The project was in advanced stages of development until BioWare’s closure, as confirmed by Schreier, suggesting that it was an attempt to expand the Mass Effect universe in a direction different from previous iterations.
Source and further reading on Mass Effect Universe: original article.
* Content created with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems.