Leaked Mass Effect 5 Trailer Confirmed Real, Reveals Glimpse of Cancelled Game

Update:

The leaked Mass Effect 5 trailer, which surfaced on Reddit earlier today, is real.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and IGN have both independently verified the video, which was uploaded to the franchise’s subreddit just a day after developer BioWare was dramatically shut down.

It remains unclear exactly how the video made its way online, but it was presumably shared by a former employee to give fans a glimpse of what was being worked on.

The game, codenamed Mass Effect Universe, would have seen the series return to its Milky Way setting, although it would have been set thousands of years after the events of Mass Effect 3.

We already knew fan favourite character Liara was set to return.

Despite the video being published online, the project was still very early in development, and BioWare staff seem quite bullish about what they were working on.

Sadly, it will now never see the light of day.

Original Story: A Mass Effect 5 trailer, made using “pre-production assets”, appears to have leaked on Reddit following developer BioWare’s closure this week.

While it’s difficult to corroborate the validity of the footage, it does not initially appear to be AI-generated. IGN also reported earlier today that a new trailer for the game had been created internally.

The theory here is that an ex-staff member “accidentally” misplaced the video file so that it could be watched by fans.

Assuming this is real, it’s incredibly early material – it even mentions that the project is being worked on by a “small team”. We know that the legendary studio was about 50 staff strong prior to its closure.

It’s possible BioWare may have made this video for N7 Day, an annual celebration of the Mass Effect franchise, scheduled for 7th November. It ends with a “coming soon” message, which makes sense, as we know the game was not close to release.

The title card also reveals the title could have been called Mass Effect Universe.

Writing on social media, Mass Effect writer Catherynne M. Valente said the studio was “working on a great game”. That will now never see the light of day.

But assuming this in-engine trailer is real, it should give you a taste of the direction the new Mass Effect may have taken.

For some fans, this may serve as salt in the wounds – but I think it’s better than the video remaining hidden on someone’s hard drive, never to be seen by the world.