Leaked details from former BioWare technical director Romain Toutain reveal that the canceled Mass Effect: Universe would have accounted for every choice from the Commander Shepard trilogy through a complex parallel timeline system. The project, shuttered when EA closed BioWare last week, promised Hitman-style mission freedom and a stateful logic engine that validated player decisions in real time.
An internal trailer for the cancelled Mass Effect 5, titled Mass Effect Universe, has surfaced online following BioWare's shutdown and EA's acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity. The footage shows pre-production assets featuring a former sci-fi military protagonist, telekinetic abilities, and an older Liara T'Soni in a bar fight scene. IGN has verified the trailer's authenticity.
