Mass Effect 4: Leaks, trailer & everything we know

Mass Effect 4 might seem like it's lightyears away, but fans are still excited about any news of the upcoming and, as of right now, untitled Mass Effect game.

The teaser trailer for Mass Effect 4, as it's affectionately referred to by fans, has been dissected within an inch of all its cinematic glory in an attempt to find any secret messages about the potential story and setting.

There is some debate about whether this installment is Mass Effect 4 or Mass Effect 5, because Mass Effect Andromeda broke the naming pattern. We'll refer to it as Mass Effect 4 for the purposes of this article, until an official title is announced.

Here's everything we know so far about the Mass Effect 4 gameplay, trailers, story, and more.

Mass Effect 4 is on the way

According to GamesBeat Editor Jeff Grubb, Mass Effect 4 won't come until at least 2025. There hasn't been any word from BioWare or EA about an official launch, so all we can do is speculate. Still, there are a number of reasons why it could be a while before players ship off to the Milky Way again.

Grubb, who also predicted an upcoming Twisted Metal reboot, claimed that BioWare was looking at building Mass Effect 5 using Unreal Engine 5, which could delay Mass Effect 4. Not only that, but the BioWare team is currently still in the process of developing Dragon Age 4, which is likely to come before the next Mass Effect.

Mass Effect 4 trailers

Mass Effect 4 may only have the above teaser trailer so far, but the game's explosive reveal during The Game Awards in 2020 means the hype train left at full steam and hasn't stopped since.

BioWare hasn't shared any more footage relating to the new game, but it did share one piece of concept art in a blog post written by Casey Hudson, the director behind the original Mass Effect trilogy. 

The trailer takes viewers on an intergalactic journey through the stars with various voice-overs alluding to the previous Mass Effect games. Then, the teaser cuts to a frozen wilderness where a mysterious figure wanders through the snow before finding a piece of armour marked with the N7 emblem.

Soon after, the hooded figure is revealed to be beloved asari and Mass Effect fan favourite, Dr. Liara T'Soni. With such little information to go on, both the trailer and the concept art have been rigorously examined by fans, eager to find any shred of information they can find about the upcoming game.

Mass Effect 4 story details

After the Mass Effect 4 trailer was revealed, Michael Gamble, Project Director on the next Mass Effect, promised viewers that there was "much to unpack" and encouraged Mass Effect fans to "look. And listen closely."

That's exactly what they did. The internet has since erupted with fan theories surrounding the Mass Effect 4 story, and it's worth exploring some of them. For one thing, the reappearance of Liara suggests that the new game takes place after the events of Mass Effect 3 rather than after Mass Effect Andromeda, set about 700 years after the original trilogy.

Although, the trailer showed a glimpse of both the Milky Way from the original games as well as the Andromeda Galaxy of the most recent instalment. This could mean that Mass Effect 4 could go some way toward exploring how both galaxies are related. Another popular theory is that the Normandy team is on the hunt for their old crew member, Commander Shepard.

Mass Effect 4 Developers

Mass Effect 4 signifies a change from Andromeda in that the new game is being made by "a veteran team" who have been "hard at work envisioning the next chapter of the Mass Effect universe," according to Hudson's post on BioWare's blog.

The announcement of the original creative members returning to develop Mass Effect 4 will no doubt cause a huge amount of excitement, especially following the troubled production of Andromeda. 

Unlike the original trilogy, Andromeda was sadly hit with an unsettled development process. Many of the creatives from the original games left during production due to creative differences. For example, both the lead writer and senior editor left the project during production, along with the original director himself, Casey Hudson.

He may have said that he was leaving BioWare for a second time to create his own game development studio since Mass Effect 4 was announced, but no doubt the fact "a veteran team" are currently working on the new game will come as a huge relief to Mass Effect fans. 

The length of time before we get to take flight with Mass Effect 4 might make you want to jump into the nearest hypersleep tube, but if the game proves as exciting as the teaser trailer, then the wait will surely be worth it.

For all the rest of your Mass Effect 4 news and guides, plus a review when the game launches, keep your eyes peeled on GGRecon.