There are a few key reasons, however, that 2020 might finally be the Mass Effect remastered trilogy’s year. Though fans have been waiting for a long time, here are the reasons that they should be more hopeful now than ever before.
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Early Evidence of a Remaster
As far back as 2014, just 2 years after the release of Mass Effect 3, BioWare’s general manager Aaryn Flynn discussed a Mass Effect remaster of the series on the NeoGAF forums. A couple of years later, EA’s executive vice president Patrick Soderlund said the studio was “actively looking at” remastering the original trilogy. Fans who hoped that might mean the remaster was just around the corner, however, were disappointed. Both Flynn and Soderlund eventually left BioWare, and as the years passed, it appeared the remaster was taking the backseat. This appeared even more likely when BioWare released Andromeda.
However, since the poor initial reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda, it has become more likely that BioWare would turn back to its original trilogy as a safe bet both critically and commercially. Furthermore, there have been a few particularly successful remasters since the idea was first floated that could help provide the template for a Mass Effect remaster, particularly the remastered Halo games.
Indeed, Soderlund’s original comments hinted that BioWare was more likely to remaster the games as other studios demonstrated the success of their own remasters, saying that fans “can expect us most likely to follow our fellow partners in Activision and other companies that have done this successfully.”
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Why 2020 Might be Mass Effect’s Year
Unlike previous years, 2020 has been full of events that hint at the potential for a Mass Effect remaster. In January, BioWare’s official Twitter account mysteriously posted a video of the introduction to the first Mass Effect game. Uploaded without further comment, many fans speculated that the video may have been intended to help spread rumors and hype around a remaster of the first three games.
More solid evidence game in May 2020, when EA announced that 14 games were currently being worked on across its various studios for release by the end of the fiscal year, meaning by May 2021. EA did not name all of the games which were in production, but it did include remasters among its new titles and Switch ports. One such remaster was listed simply as “EA HD title,” which is rumored to be the Mass Effect remaster.
The release of the original Mass Effect trilogy on Steam in June, and its subsequent success, also makes a remaster seem more likely. The evident love for the original games could help BioWare and EA overcome fears that the franchise had been irreparably damaged by Andromeda. A remastered original trilogy could help give BioWare the financial confidence and reputation boost it might need to compete with hotly anticipated RPGs like Avowed and Cyberpunk 2077 on the next-gen consoles.
July saw the announcement of a new 272-page art book, The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition, to be released by Dark Horse on February 23, 2021 for $39.99. The fact that BioWare would commission a new edition and feel confident in its higher price right near the end of this fiscal year makes a Mass Effect remaster seem more likely than ever. Not only that, but a leaked listing from the UK retailer Game showed a title named “N7” releasing on September 29, although this seems unlikely and may have just been a mistake.
Though some fans were disappointed that the remaster was not announced at EA Play 2020, it is possible that this is because the developer is holding the announcement until November 7, 2020, also known as N7 Day. This is a holiday set aside by fans of the franchise to celebrate the Mass Effect games. While the remaster has yet to be confirmed, Mass Effect fans should look forward to N7 Day 2020, and could well find themselves back on the deck of the Normandy sooner than expected.
The Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster is reportedly in development.
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