Trailer for Cancelled Mass Effect Game Leaks Online After EA Shuts Down BioWare

A trailer for the cancelled Mass Effect game has leaked, showing a glimpse of the science-fiction RPG that was in early development at BioWare before the studio was shut down by EA this week. The game bears the title ‘Mass Effect: Universe' and claims to feature in-engine footage and pre-production assets. The Mass Effect title would have been a follow-up to 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda, the last mainline game in the series.

The trailer for Mass Effect: Universe was uploaded on Reddit and YouTube and was later verified as legitimate by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on Thursday. The reporter said that BioWare was developing the game right up until its closure this week.

The Mass Effect: Universe trailer opens with 80s synthwave beats and features a cast of new characters. We see the human protagonist enter a neon-lit bar and strike up a conversation with an Asari operative.

The human character tells her about his military past and his mercenary present, before it's revealed that the Asari operative was the target, and a conflict breaks out in the bar. The scene also features Dr. Liara T'Soni, a returning character from older Mass Effect games, as part of the protagonist's team. Aside from the scene at the bar, the trailer also shows glimpses of combat, abilities, exploration and ship travel, and characters from various races in the Mass Effect universe. The trailer features in-engine footage and pre-production assets, a note at the beginning says.

BioWare and Mass Effect

BioWare did not share details about Mass Effect 5 before it was shut down. The game was in development at a small team at the studio under project director Michael Gamble. Back in 2024, Gamble had confirmed that the game would feature a mature tone and photorealistic art style, in line with the original Mass Effect trilogy.

BioWare's Mass Effect trilogy released between 2007 and 2012 and set the blueprint for choice-driven RPGs, inspiring studios like Larian, CD Projekt Red, among others. The first three games are considered among the best RPGs ever made. Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a remastered collection of the original Mass Effect trilogy, was released in 2021. BioWare released Mass Effect: Andromeda, with a completely new setting and characters, in 2017, but the RPG received criticism over its technical issues, bugs, story, and characters.

This week, EA announced it was shutting down BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Effect title. According to Bloomberg, EA will lay off 400 workers, including roughly 50 employees at BioWare, as part of the cuts.

BioWare was founded in 1995 and was based out of Edmonton, Canada. The legendary studio was known for making industry-defining titles like Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic before finding wider success with franchises like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. EA acquired BioWare in 2007. The studio's last game— Dragon Age: The Veilguard—released on PC and consoles in 2024 and failed to meet internal sales expectactions at EA.