‘Mass Effect 5’ Is Still in Pre-Production Despite Company Shake-Ups, Michael Gamble Confirms

BioWare is going through some major changes right now. The studio is shifting its focus to the next Mass Effect game while moving some developers to other EA teams. There are also reports of layoffs, though the company hasn’t confirmed them.

Last week, BioWare’s general manager, Gary McKay, explained that since Mass Effect 5 is still in an early stage, not everyone at the studio is needed for it yet. Because of that, many team members have been reassigned to other EA projects.

Meanwhile, a BioWare spokesperson revealed that with Dragon Age: The Veilguard now completed, the studio’s ‘full focus is Mass Effect.’ However, they didn’t comment on the rumored job cuts. Bloomberg claims that fewer than 100 employees remain at the studio.

Michael Gamble, the project director for Mass Effect 5, responded to the news on social media. He kept it simple: ‘As the notes have said, we are still in pre-production.’ That means the game is nowhere near ready, and it might be a long wait before we see anything substantial.

There’s also the question of what the game will even be called. Right now, people are using Mass Effect 5, but it’s unclear if that will stick. It could end up getting a completely different title, just like The Witcher 4 or Switch 2, which are unofficial names people use out of habit.

Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah also weighed in. He recently said that Mass Effect 5 isn’t ready to support a massive team of 250 to 300 people yet. He explained that the game still needs to take shape before the team expands, which is why some developers were moved to other projects for now.

In short, BioWare is all in on Mass Effect 5, but don’t expect it anytime soon.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!