Mass Effect 5 Reportedly Won't Be Released 'Until At Least 2025'
A new Mass Effect game is on the way. However, journalist and author Jeff Grubb claims that fans can't expect to see the upcoming instalment in the science-fiction game franchise "until at least 2025".
Will The New Mass EffectGame Be Built Through Unreal Engine?
On September 3, 2021, Grubb published an article through GamesBeat claiming that BioWare is looking at building the untitled game, referred to as Mass Effect 5 by fans, using Unreal Engine rather than EA's Frostbite. With this change, as well as the other huge projects that the game developer is in the process of creating, it's no surprise that it could be a long time before players can once again venture into the Milky Way.
Unreal, the game engine developed by Epic Games, was used to build the first three Mass Effect games. However, following the studio's acquisition by EA, BioWare's Mass Effect: Andromeda was created through Frostbite, the engine behind Star Wars Battlefront II and FIFA 21. Although, by the time Mass Effect 5 goes into full development, Frostbite may seem ancient compared to the updated Unreal Engine 5.
What Did Jeff Grubb Have To Say About Mass Effect 5?
Grubb claimed: "BioWare is researching all kinds of cutting-edge graphical and technical features that it could implement into Mass Effect 5." He then referenced a recent job advertisement on the EA website for a Technical Director, saying: "Experience with UnrealEngine4+ is an asset." Proving that BioWare could be working with Unreal going forward.
Grubb then went on to clarify in the article and on his Twitter feed that development for Mass Effect 5 won't begin until Dragon Age 4, which is still on track to be released in 2023.
While a teaser trailer for the new Mass Effect in December 2020 gave fans a peek into the next instalment, they will have to wait, what will feel like lightyears, until the game is released.