In light of the sad news, the only silver-lining to come out of it is the confirmation of both Mass Effect 3's single-player Omega DLC, confirmation of a "full" Mass Effect game is currently being developed and that the studio is working on a new IP using "new gaming tech."
This was confirmed by Aaryn Flynn, general manager for both BioWare Edmonton and Montreal. In a statement to address Zeschuk and Muzyka's departure, Flynn noted outed the following:
• MASS EFFECT – Executive Producer Casey Hudson and his team are coming off an amazing eight-year run with the Mass Effect trilogy. But they’re not done yet. We are releasing more multiplayer content and we have more single-player stories coming throughout the next six months, including Omega which is coming in the Fall. But the Mass Effect universe is vast, and Casey and our teams have plans for another full game. “Where to go next?” with such a project has been a question a lot of us have been asking, and we’d all love to hear your ideas.
• BRAND NEW GAMES FROM BIOWARE – Both Dragon Age and Mass Effect started as single games but grew into vast universes. But we aren’t stopping there. While Casey continues to oversee the development of our new Mass Effect project, he and his leads are putting together their vision for an all new game set in a fictional universe, built from the bottom-up with all new gaming technology.
While the Omega DLC is scheduled to hit in the fall, I'm guessing this new Mass Effect game will be in the same path as the new IP and is scheduled for next-gen…unless BioWare is planning on introducing a new IP this late in this console lifecycle.
Of course, if you're one of the people who hated Mass Effect 3's ending, chances are you're not really awaiting this new "full" Mass Effect game that much, no?
Which direction do you want this new Mass Effect game to take? Should it be a prequel or be Mass Effect 4 and take off from where ME3 left us off?
Also of note, BioWare has already done sci-fi with Mass Effect and medieval with Dragon Age…where can they go from here? Maybe an open-world game? What about a multiplayer-centric shooter? I can imagine developing Mass Effect 3's multiplayer must have given them a lot of data on how to make one properly, no? Sound off and let us know.
