Update 10:30pm UK: A Mass Effect fan has now decoded the audio message hidden inside a new brief video today.
Fan favorite Liara T’soni – It has already been confirmed as a return in this sequel – She can be heard talking to Jeth, who can instantly recognize a machine-like noise.
Liara’s letter – always photographed by Ali Hillis – has been decrypted by a Soundcloud user mosaic horse. BioWare has since introduced its cleaned-up version:
“I can see him… how did we miss this?” Liara can be heard saying. “Exactly, the Council will be furious… although they should know by now not to underestimate the human challenge.”
As you’d expect, the humor only raises more questions. Why does Liara work with geth? What did these pesky humans do now? And why has no one elected a better council yet, even after centuries? Some things never change.
Finally, Mass Effect Project Director Mike Gamble tweeted a definitive new piece of concept art (showing silhouettes of krogan, salarian and turian characters) and teased a fresh new title for Liara in the upcoming game.
“Although they should now know not to underestimate the human challenge!” – Liara T’Soni (Doctor, Shadow Broker and <تم التعديل>). #N7Day pic.twitter.com/9Zup3YPNga
– Michael Gamble (@GambleMike) November 7 2022
5pm UK original story:BioWare has released a small teaser and a brief update on the state of the next Mass Effect game, in celebration of the franchise’s annual N7 Day, today, November 7.
a Blog update of BioWare states that “pre-production development is going very well” as Mass Effect franchisees veterans and newcomers work together to craft “characters and locations you’ll love, as well as revisit many things you’ll remember.”
Stick with that last line, as fan speculation has continued about what to expect from this new entry into the franchise. from outside, in View BioWare’s 2020 announcement for the projectFans were greeted by an older version of Liara – apparently centuries older than what appeared in the original series trilogy. But this teaser also included hints that we might hear more about what’s happening in Andromeda – the setting for the series’ latest entry – too.
Today, BioWare also showcased an eye-catching new piece of art for the game, which depicts the creation of Mass Relay – the devices the series’ ships use to navigate between different systems.
This image is an updated version of One previously featured in BioWare’s Big 25th Anniversary Coffee Table Book Which was first reported by Eurogamer in 2020 – although there are a number of new details here which are added later.
The caption at the bottom left of the image says:
Vacuum base relay monitoring/log station operated by Green Dagger Ltd.
For indoor use only. SA —– 313 —– /////11_07_90_000_1000-201.37.23 – File Bat.
A neat-looking spaceship with blue exhaust trails similar to the Normandy series and a storm can be seen approaching Relay from the bottom right. I had invested a lot of money in having this new spaceship for our heroes away from home.
Above the partially constructed relay ring, large ships can be seen lifting fresh pieces into place. Now more than ever, it’s clear that this image shows a brand-new Mass Relay build – rather than repairs made to existing mass relays right after the Reaper War ended at the end of Mass Effect 3.
So, why are new relays being built? And most importantly, where do they lead – to new parts of the Milky Way, or to Andromeda?
For this annotation, I think Sub-Navarch Soa’Rhal Zhilian-Jones sounds like a quarian first name with a human title. If so, it’s good to know that quarians survived in the Mass Effect canon post ME3!
An animated version of this artwork has also been published via Twitter It has some mysterious sounds. Fans will no doubt be kept busy deciphering the audio clues presented here.
A file name for a downloadable version of this video reveals that it shows the Satherium system. A quick examination reveals that this star system is new to the Mass Effect series, and appears to have been named after the Latin genus of the extinct giant otter. (And now I really hope there will be a race of giant otters in the upcoming Mass Effect game.) https://twitter.com/masseffect/status/1589656874416500739
Elsewhere, today’s blog features quotes from various senior team members working on the next Mass Effect. This includes Marie de Marly, who recently joined BioWare after working at Eidos Montreal On Deus Ex: Human Revolt and Guardians of the Galaxy.
“I spend my days dreaming of stories with a group of talented writers,” said De Marley, who is now Senior Narrative Director at Mass Effect. “Then I work closely with artists, game and level design experts, music lovers, and programmers to turn these stories into immersive player-driven experiences.”
Mass Effect series creative director and veteran BioWare expert Parrish Ley added that he has been working with the game team “to deliver the game’s emotional, narrative and tonal elements, ensuring that the next great chapter in the Mass Effect saga stays true to the franchise’s roots.”
This relates to this year’s N7 celebrations. A few crumbs, yes, but better than nothing. Hopefully, next year will finally see the release of Dragon Age Dreadwolf, and BioWare has a more meaty update to offer at the end of 2023.
Last year, BioWare celebrated N7 Day 2021 with a Mass Effect 5 is full of clues full of teasers that we’ve dissected in minute detail. The artwork hinted at the return of fan-favorite robotic Jeth types from Mass Effect, as well as enlarged views of some of their characters and the new spaceship.