BioWare has long used extended media to enrich its franchises, weaving characters and story elements from novels, comics, and animated series into its games. Dragon Age: The Veilguard continues this tradition, pulling from Tevinter Nights and The Missing to create a more interconnected world. Lucanis Dellamorte, a character whose story was written within Tevinter Nights, became one of the leads in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
While this isn’t a new approach for BioWare, it signals an important trend for Mass Effect, especially as the studio’s primary focus shifts toward its next sci-fi installment following the departure of much of the Dragon Age team. Based on this recent release, fans may want to dust off the alternative media from previous Mass Effect entries.
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Like Dragon Age, Mass Effect has a long history of using tie-in material to expand its universe. Novels such as Mass Effect: Revelation and Ascension provided deeper insight into Cerberus and the Illusive Man well before they became central figures in Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect: Retribution delved into the consequences of Cerberus’ experiments with Reaper technology, a theme later explored in Mass Effect 3. The Mass Effect: Redemption comic played a crucial role in explaining how Liara T’Soni recovered Commander Shepard’s body, setting up Mass Effect 2’s opening events. More recently, Mass Effect: Andromeda’s tie-in novels explored the struggles of the Andromeda Initiative, particularly in Nexus Uprising, which chronicled the early days of the Nexus space station’s leadership crisis and set up much of the political turmoil in the game itself.
Given BioWare’s track record, it’s reasonable to expect that the next Mass Effect game will follow suit. If BioWare continues to integrate external lore, key plot points or characters from past tie-ins may play a larger role. The Quarian ark storyline from Annihilation, for example, could be revisited, resolving a lingering plot thread about the missing fleet. Similarly, Mass Effect: Deception introduced conflicts within humanity’s biotic community that were left unresolved—something BioWare could choose to rework into the upcoming game.
A Shift in BioWare’s Priorities
With most of the Dragon Age team now gone, the studio’s focus is squarely on the next Mass Effect. This shift means that Mass Effect fans should pay close attention to the franchise’s extended media, as it may contain important details that will shape the new game. BioWare’s recent hiring decisions also suggest a more concentrated effort on revitalizing the series, with key veterans like Mike Gamble taking leadership roles. Given that Dragon Age no longer has the same internal presence at the studio, it is unlikely that BioWare will continue producing as many tie-ins for that franchise, making Mass Effect’s expanded universe even more critical for understanding its future.
Where Mass Effect Could Go Next
BioWare has already teased the return of the original trilogy’s galaxy, hinting that the next Mass Effect may bridge the gap between Shepard’s era and the Andromeda Initiative. If extended media is any indication, BioWare might draw from Annihilation to address the fate of the Quarian ark or use plot points from Nexus Uprising to flesh out the political struggles of a post-Reaper war galaxy. The introduction of new protagonists could even mirror The Veilguard’s approach, with characters who previously appeared in books or comics taking on major roles in the game.
Additionally, the unanswered questions from Mass Effect: Deception, such as conflicts between biotic factions or Cerberus splinter groups, could serve as foundations for side plots or companion character backstories. If BioWare decides to fully embrace extended media, it could also take inspiration from Star Wars’ approach, making these novels and comics essential reading for dedicated fans.
Ultimately, Dragon Age: The Veilguard reinforces what BioWare has been doing for years—using external stories to enhance its games. But with the studio now fully committed to Mass Effect, longtime fans should look beyond the games if they want to piece together what’s coming next. The future of Mass Effect may already be written—it’s just a matter of where BioWare decides to pick up the story.
- Released
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October 31, 2024
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts