Mass Effect Spiritual Successor is Here in Stunning RPG

This upcoming sci-fi action RPG is already getting Mass Effect fans particularly excited, which is unsurprising considering that the developers behind the project have credited the franchise as a direct inspiration.

Fans are feeling noticeably bleak about Mass Effect’s future these days. If you take a peep at the latest posts over on the r/masseffect subreddit, almost every single member of the community seems to be in full doomposting mode.

It’s understandable, really, considering the less-than-stellar updates we’ve been receiving regarding Mass Effect 5.

Several key members of BioWare’s staff were let go back in January, so things were already looking shaky. Then, Electronic Arts was purchased by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Affinity Partners last month, which prompted outcry from fans who believed that the LGBTQ+ and romance elements of the game may be censored.

And to make matters worse, there are now reports of higher-ups at EA pushing devs to use AI tools for “just about everything”, according to VGC’s Chris Scullion.

In short, things are looking dire… which is probably why fans are jumping ship to a different sci-fi RPG game: The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn official image featuring your squad, Owlcat Games

Announced at the Future Games Expo back in June, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is an action-RPG developed and published by Owlcat Games, the team behind the likes of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

So, what about this one is getting Mass Effect fans so hyped? Is it just because it’s an RPG set in space?

Well, yes, but there is a little more to it. The majority of the hype probably stems from the fact that Owlcat Games producer Yuliya Chernenko outright stated that the Mass Effect franchise “was absolutely an inspiration to the team”.

“It was iconic for the Xbox 360 generation of gamers… Many of us first played it in our teenage years, and it left a lasting impression. We are building on that legacy and expanding what players anticipate from this experience”, Chernenko revealed during an interview with IGN.

“Our story is deeply rooted in hard science fiction, one of the core reasons The Expanse universe resonates so well with its fans. The combat reflects the standards of modern action gameplay. The narrative emphasizes political tension and moral complexity. And yes — there’s romance too.”

Now, personally, I’m just excited for this one because The Expanse books absolutely slap. If you’re in need of a Mass Effect-style fix ASAP, I can not recommend them more.

Still, I understand the desire from BioWare fans to latch onto something new, and they could do a hell of a lot worse, based on how juicy the trailers have been so far.

No exact word on when The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will be dropping yet, but it’ll be dropping on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and Steam when it does.