Mass Effect 5 first trailer teases game's title and plot

All hail the glory that is N7 Day. It’s a magical time of year, a time that far exceeds the joy of Christmas or the explosive festivities of New Year. Arguably, what made 2023’s N7 Day all the more thrilling was the big reveal of where the Mass Effect franchise is headed after a prolonged silence since Mass Effect: Andromeda.

When we say revealed, what we really mean is sending out cryptic “decoded” messages like Taylor Swift, as well as delivering the N7 Day teaser in chunks, despite the entire video being only 34 seconds long. Not that we’re complaining – we love a good hunt, especially when it means a beloved franchise is returning.

Give Mass Effect Legendary Edition some love with its official trailer!

BioWare first announced a new Mass Effect was in the works three years ago, which, while sounding like a long time, is child’s play compared to how long Rockstar is taking with GTA VI. Still, while three years isn’t too bad, it’s a long enough wait that we’re now all chomping at the bit to learn every scrap of detail we can about ME – where it’s going, who’s returning, new characters, etc.

As is the way of gaming news these days, we know very little about Mass Effect 5, save for what BioWare executive producer Mike Gamble has revealed. According to Gamble, ME5 will follow the events of both ME3 and ME: Andromeda, which sounds potentially complicated, but we could be wrong. From the teaser, it seems that someone is in distress back in the Andromeda galaxy, though the year this occurs is redacted. As for whether Shepard will return, the fandom believes that character, while iconic, should remain dead; their sacrifice shouldn’t be in vain.

There’s also the belief that the next ME game will return to a more classic format, leaving behind open-world landscapes for a streamlined approach. As someone who often got lost searching Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I welcome a more linear setup. Still, whether this world format is true will remain unsolved until much later down the line, as BioWare’s next project is Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, a game I’ve been waiting for with bated breath. Give me all the Solas details, I want to rage against that handsome, egg-headed elf after all the betrayal he put me through. Um, please excuse me, I got a bit upset there.