I caught up with former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah recently, putting a few questions to him about the state of BioWare and the future of franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The latter was Darrah’s strong suit, given that he spent many years in producer and director roles across the fantasy RPG series.
The interview took place before the news dropped that BioWare would be shutting down and the new Mass Effect game, in development for a hot minute, would be canceled. But that makes Darrah’s answers all the more poignant.
‘It’s a Very Strong Brand’
Mass Effect: Universe would have been BioWare’s next sci-fi title, and it would have reportedly taken everything we’ve learned about the franchise thus far and allowed us to mess with history. It was a galaxy-spanning adventure that would have placed players in the shoes of an N7 agent who was a cross between John Wick and James Bond, and now it might never see the light of day.
When the news dropped that BioWare was shutting down, it went hand-in-hand with the revelation that Mass Effect’s future had been scrubbed.
When catching up with Mark Darrah, who worked at BioWare for a decade driving both Dragon Age and Anthem, I asked him if he felt that Mass Effect was still a franchise with ‘legs’, and he said:
I do think it is a franchise with legs. It’s a very strong brand. You still see N7 hoodies and jackets and stuff out in the wild.
I don’t know what’s going to happen. I think within the next five months, we will know what EA plans to do. It will either be clear that they are making forward progress or clear that they are going to get cancelled or they will be cancelled.
The ill-fated thing about this is that, barely a day later, BioWare was closed down.
But Mark Darrah knew that the writing could be on the wall for Mass Effect, given that Electronic Arts was looking to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars:
I think that there are good reasons why PIF and EA would want to make another Mass Effect game, but also, Andrew Wilson said he wanted to save $700 million, that there was $700 million in savings to come with the acquisition. $700 million is a ton. I don’t see how you get there without closing some things down. It also could be that Mass Effect is on that list.
Darrah was right, and Mass Effect: Universe was one of the projects impacted by the closure of BioWare, a studio that had been creating games for more than 30 years.
Do you hope that someone recovers the Mass Effect IP and keeps putting out games? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server. Thanks to our friends at Eldorado.gg for facilitating this interview.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
Of course, I’d love to see Mass Effect continue in some form. The universe is simply too vast and rich to let the franchise quietly drift into the void.
That said, I think an outright sale of the IP is highly unlikely at this point. The current unrest within the gaming community is arguably sending EA a rather clear message: Mass Effect still has a passionate fanbase. Unfortunately, that also signals to potential buyers that the asking price might reach astronomical levels, putting the franchise out of reach for all but a handful of companies.
Personally, I’d love to see Amazon make a move eventually. They’re already developing the TV adaptation, and Mike Gamble is involved with the franchise. If the series proves successful, following it up with a new game could be a smart business strategy, turning TV viewers into players and building long-term customer loyalty across both mediums. A well-executed crossover between the two could be a win-win for Amazon and the fans.
Of course, this is all speculation. But if there’s one thing Mass Effect has taught us, it’s that even when the odds look impossible, there’s always a chance to change the outcome.
*“I should go.”* — And frankly, so should Mass Effect. Just not into the sunset. 😉