TGAs 2020: Bioware teases new Mass Effect & Dragon Age games

There were several megaton announcements at The Game Awards, including a new Dragon Age teaser. That would be enough for any other developer but Bioware wasn’t done. We also got a teaser for a new Mass Effect.

Both of these games seem to be pretty far off, given there aren’t even titles. Dragon Age is the furthest along, given it was announced in 2018. Bioware teased a lot in the new trailer, including the return of Varric voiced by Brian Bloom. Bioware also ensured they’re staying true to the series despite not releasing a Dragon Age game since 2014.

“Rich, branching narratives, choices with consequences, and intriguing characters are central to the entire Dragon Age franchise, and we’re putting a lot of work into these. You’ll form relationships with companions who will fight by your side when you experience this true Dragon Age saga set in Thedas, a world in need of a new kind of hero,” reads a blog post.

The teaser for Mass Effect was even more cryptic. While Dragon Age is in development, another Bioware team has begun pre-production on a new Mass Effect.

“We’ve got a lot more in store for the Mass Effect universe and while we’ve got a long runway ahead of us before we’ll be ready to show you more, we hope the teaser set the tone for where we’re headed next. The teaser is full of hints about what we are planning, and we hope you have fun finding them all,” reads another section of the blog post.

The Mass Effect trilogy is also coming to Xbox One and PS4, it’ll release this spring. All of this news comes following the departure of two pivotal Bioware figures. Casey Hudson, largely credited as the mastermind on the original Mass Effect trilogy, left again. Hudson departed after Mass Effect 3 but returned in 2017 as general manager.

Mark Darrah, executive producer on Dragon Age, also left the studio. He had plenty of good words to say about those taking over for him, though.

“Dragon Age will be in good hands. Christian Dailey will be moving into the Executive Producer role. Christian Dailey is a strong leader and will provide great insight into the rest of the Dragon Age leadership who remain. This is a team that includes people with decades of experience at BioWare. I am confident that, together, this is the team that can make this Dragon Age the best one yet,” said Darrah.

While Bioware maintains development will continue on both games without problems, they are noteworthy departures.