Analyzing the Recently Leaked Mass Effect 5 Trailer

BioWare was abruptly closed down yesterday by EA, marking the end of a studio renowned for its iconic role-playing games over the past three decades. This closure also means the cancellation of the studio’s Mass Effect project, which had been in development with a reduced team since a downsizing in January 2025. Fans may not get the chance to revisit the cherished sci-fi universe unless EA decides to sell the IP. However, a leaked trailer has given us a glimpse into what the team was working on, revealing the game was titled Mass Effect: Universe.

The trailer, though brief, offers plenty to analyze in its two-minute runtime. We can also draw some educated conclusions based on the years of hints BioWare shared before the studio’s closure. Let’s dive into the details.

It opens with an exterior shot of a bar, showcasing a towering skyscraper that feels fresh and unfamiliar. Its design might remind some of the post-war architecture seen in London during Mass Effect 3’s Extended Cut. The bar is bustling with a diverse mix of alien races, including Salarians, Turians, Volus, Asari, Quarians, Krogan, and even a couple of Drell. While it might seem surprising for this setting to be on Earth given its eclectic clientele, the game is set hundreds of years after the original trilogy, and Earth could have transformed into a tourist hotspot post-Reaper War. Alternatively, this could be a brand-new location for the series.

Previous teasers for what would have been Mass Effect: Universe hinted at a connection between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, but it was generally assumed players wouldn’t control Pathfinder Ryder from Andromeda. A vocal segment of fans clamored for the return of Commander Shepard, despite most endings in Mass Effect 3 resulting in their demise, and BioWare’s earlier hints suggesting a timeline closer to Mass Effect: Andromeda. Fortunately, it seems BioWare had no plans to resurrect Shepard.

Instead, players would have taken on the role of a character resembling a galactic James Bond. An Asari approaches him, commenting on his military appearance, to which he replies that he’s no longer in that line of work. A flashback reveals his time in the human Alliance military, where he and his squad engage in a firefight against Krogan. Last year’s N7 Day teaser hinted at a potential Krogan civil war in the storyline, but it’s unclear if this scene ties into that conflict. Is this new character’s squad intercepting a Krogan mission, or are the Krogan simply formidable foes for our hero to battle? Regardless, he’s moved on from that life, citing too many fires to extinguish.

Now out of the Alliance, he’s ventured into a “new line of work,” still traversing the galaxy via the Mass Relay transit network. Notably, these relays were destroyed at the end of Mass Effect 3, though the Extended Cut DLC suggested that this devastating choice could be repaired.

We catch glimpses of what would have been the new ship, which appears smaller than the Normandy or Tempest. Inside, our not-Bond character interacts with crew members, including a human and a Krogan, while examining a galaxy map of the Milky Way. It’s unclear if these individuals would have served as party members or simply part of the ship’s crew.

While earlier teasers indicated that the Andromeda galaxy would play a role, it seems the majority of the game would have unfolded in humanity’s home galaxy. One location our hero visits resembles Illium, a planet predominantly inhabited by Asari that players frequently explore in Mass Effect 2.

Though Shepard engaged in some secret-agent antics throughout the trilogy, it appears Universe would have leaned more heavily into espionage, featuring intimate firefights. We see our trench coat-clad protagonist spying on arrivals at what may be Illium, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, and utilizing both biotic powers and tech skills to defeat enemies. He even scans a Salarian’s skull as if hacking into their systems for intel.

Romance has always been a part of the Mass Effect experience, and Universe would have followed suit. We see our new hero with a potential love interest, walking arm-in-arm into an event and later sharing a more intimate moment in low lighting.

Next, we witness a scene with the main character, a Krogan, and a Quarian discovering a squid-like creature. This immediately brings to mind the Reapers or the Leviathan, as they are the most notable cephalopods in the franchise, though this creature appears to have almost human-like skin. It seems to be in some form of stasis, and the Quarian begins scanning it, revealing only that it’s in critical condition.

After a few more atmospheric shots of the ship navigating through snowy terrain and our protagonist engaging in close-quarters combat, we return to the bar where the Asari whispers a threat into his ear. Her goons prepare to attack until a bar patron intervenes—none other than Liara T’Soni, the only confirmed returning character from previous games. A bar brawl ensues, with our new hero taking on the crowd, and we catch a glimpse of Liara using her biotics to toss some foes around before the action cuts to the title card.

As the trailer indicates, Universe appears to still be in an early concept phase, with some action sequences looking less polished than others. However, as a vibe setter, this trailer would have made a significant impact on N7 Day or at the Game Awards. If BioWare hadn’t been shut down and we had seen it as intended, many questions would have arisen, particularly regarding how the Andromeda galaxy fits into the narrative, especially since the 2023 teaser suggested a Milky Way character responding to a distress call from there. Hopefully, whether through further leaks or developers being allowed to share their work, we’ll learn more about Mass Effect: Universe in the future. Unless, of course, a generous benefactor with no interest in live-service games swoops in to save it—that would be even better.