Mass Effect 5 release date speculation has gamers braced for a very long wait

The launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is almost upon us.

It’s not easy waiting a decade, but we’re just eight days away from being done, my friends.

If Dragon Age isn’t exactly your thing, then I’m going to hazard a guess that it might be the next Mass Effect instalment that you’re waiting on?

Well, the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is likely still to be of interest to you.

Why? Well, the next Mass Effect game has been in the early stages of production for quite some time, but it will become the focus of BioWare’s efforts when The Veilguard is finally shipped.

With that happening in just eight days time, development should really ramp up on Mass Effect 5.

Yes, that likely means it’s still many years away from launching, but it’ll be nice to know that behind the scenes, progression will have gone up a gear.

Take a look at the teaser below to see what’s next for the Mass Effect franchise.

You see, last year, BioWare confirmed that Mass Effect 5 remained in pre-production.

When a game enters full development, that stage of the cycle typically lasts for a minimum of four years - potentially longer.

With that in mind, if Mass Effect 5 enters full production in the coming months, that places its earliest potential release window in 2028 or beyond.

“I wish companies stopped teasing games more than half a year out. At least there is no hard timeline in this case, but now I'm excited for a game that I won't see for four-plus years,” wrote Reddit user Afsunredgg, sharing a concern of many.

I should stress that Mass Effect 5 is an unofficial name.

We know that it’ll follow on from Mass Effect 3, but it is the fifth game in the series if we’re to consider Andromeda.

Previous teasers have shown N7 uniforms, as well as hinting at the return of the Geth and characters like Liara.

As long as the wait ahead is, the game should start to make significant progress soon and that’s all we can ask for.