Mass Effect fans find 'proof' game is set in Dragon Age universe

Mass Effect and Dragon Age are arguably the two most recognisable series that developer BioWare has worked on, potentially even overshadowing their work on Baldur's Gate and most definitely eclipsing their work on the likes of titles such as Anthem (apologies in advance to all four Anthem fanboys out there).

So it comes as no surprise that the games, which debuted less than two years apart from one another, feature a lot of tongue-in-cheek jokes and references to one another. One of these references was recently rediscovered by one particular Reddit user, who spotted the head of a Krogan mounted on a display in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

This naturally prompted them to ask a question that many others have attempted to answer before: are "Mass Effect and Dragon Age in the same universe?"

As many commenters were quick to note, this example is only one of many different references the games have made to one another since the release of the original Mass Effect back in 2007.

And just in case any of you reading this happened to have played the first Mass Effect when it originally released and fancied joining me in feeling super old, anyone born in 2007 will be of legal drinking age next year. Excuse me for a moment while I look into procuring a brochure for a Stannah stairlift.

One commenter in the post made a list of several different Mass Effect references and easter eggs in the Dragon Age games, such as Cullen's comment about "calibrating" trebuchets (a reference to Garrus' quote about perpetually "being in the middle of some calibrations") and Cole's remark about a cow who steals people's gold (a reference to the Shifty Looking Cow who attempts to steal Commander Shepard's credits in the first Mass Effect).

The Mass Effect games have also been known to return the favour multiple times as well, like the statue of one of Dragon Age's ogres that can be found during Kasumi's loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2 and the inclusion of the absolute sickest, coolest looking piece of DA-inspired armour that's present in both Mass Effect 2 and 3.

Of course, these are most likely just fun little easter eggs. They're not really proof that the two series are legitimately connected in any way, as much as it is fun to theorise about it.

That didn't stop Kotaku's former Editor-in-Chief Stephen Totilo from asking BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk about the link between the two universes way back back 2012 though.

Muzyka and Zeschuk naturally chose to be a little cheeky with their response, with Zeschuk stating that the Dragon Age games are part of "the greatest franchise ever" in Mass Effect and that Commander Shepard regularly played the latest titles in the series on the TV situated in their living quarters on the Normandy.

So, as of now, the answer is inconclusive - but veering in the direction of unlikely. But who knows? Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release sometime in 2024, so maybe the latest game will feature some kind of mind-blowing link between the two series that will serve as irrefutable proof that their worlds truly are linked.

At the very least it would be nice if they explained why Thedas' moon is just casually chilling next to the planet Klendagon. Was that a reference, or just a cheeky attempt at reusing assets?