Mass Effect fans heartbroken by quiet cancellation

Mass Effect fans may recognise the name Casey Hudson.

After all, Hudson served as the game director on all three mainline Mass Effect entries.

So you can understand why there was a lot of fanfare when in 2021, one year after departing BioWare, Hudson confirmed that he’d begun work on a new IP at the newly established Humanoid Origin.

Believed to be somewhat of a spiritual successor to Mass Effect, Hudson originally teased that he hoped to “unleash the creative freedom of developers - bringing innovation and artistry to players” through this new venture.

Beyond this, details have always been a tad thin on the ground.

The Humanoid Origin website previously confirmed that the game would be a “multi-platform AAA title focused on character-driven narrative in an all-new science fiction universe” but nothing else has particularly surfaced beyond that.

Various images that can be found on the Humanoid Origins website depict a sci-fi galaxy, not too dissimilar from Mass Effect’s, showing futuristic cities and evolved technologies.

Unfortunately, that’s seemingly all we’ll ever see of this IP as the studio has announced its closure.

BioWare is continuing on with the Mass Effect series with a new mainline entry remaining in the early stages of development.

“Earlier today, we informed our staff that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down. Despite efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations,” a LinkedIn post read.

“We’re heartbroken that we will not be able to bring our new science-fiction universe to completion. Our main concern at this time however is for our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to new employment.”

The statement continued, “In our time together, the team achieved incredible progress, and demonstrated that it's possible to do amazing work while fostering a culture of fun and creativity. We thank them for their talent, courage, and friendship.”

It’s another devastating blow to the industry, and one for Mass Effect fans.