Bioware has been asked countless questions about the next title in the Mass Effect series and one fans seem to clamor for is calling it Mass Effect 4. This is simply not true and Bioware talked to fans about why it’s a disservice to call it that title.
In the BioWare forums, Community Manager Chris Priestly talked to forum members about the next title in the series. It’s a new iteration and will not feature Commander Shepard since his trilogy is finished since Mass Effect 3. Priestly said this in a forum post:
To call the next game Mass Effect 4 or ME4 is doing it a disservice and seems to cause a lot of confusion here. We have already said that the Commander Shepard trilogy is over and that the next game will not feature him/her. That is the only detail you have on the game. I see people saying “well, they’ll have to pick a canon ending”. No, because the game does not have to come after. Or before. Or off to the side. Or with characters you know. Or yaddayaddayadda. Wherever, whenever, whoever, etc will all be revealed years down the road when we actually start talking about it.
BioWare Montreal studio director Yanick Roy also posted about the upcoming title. He stated that “In other words, because the game takes place before of after the first trilogy does not mean it necessarily is a straight prequel or sequel.” So as far as we know, it’s an entirely new game set in the universe. Whether or not it takes place before or after the events of Shepard’s trilogy remain to be seen.
How do you feel about the new title and what do you want out of it? Let us know in the comments or post in the forums.