The next Mass Effect game is currently underway at BioWare‘s 2009-opened Montreal studio, it has announced. BioWare Montreal has previously assisted BioWare Edmonton in developing Mass Effect 2 and 3, including cinematic-building, N7 missions, and post-release content in 2, and multiplayer and “significant” single-player contributions in 3.
“The next Mass Effect game is already in development, driven by the team here in Montreal,” said BioWare Montreal boss Yanick Roy in a blog post. “This is the goal we have been working toward for years now, and every member of our team is proud, excited, and humbled to take on the responsibility for the next game.
“To ensure a proper and effective transition, we’ll continue to be supported by the Edmonton studio through the game’s development, working with and learning from them on some critical initiatives. On top of that, Casey [Hudson] remains the Executive Producer, but he will have a Project Director under him, working in Montreal, leading our development team and making day-to-day decisions for the game. We all care very much about Mass Effect and make our decisions based on what’s best for the game.”
Roy couldn’t share much about the game itself, but shared that it will utilize Digital Illusion CE’s Frostbite 2 Engine, which powers Battlefield 3 and Dragon Age III. He also confirmed, with the trilogy complete, the new game will explore new directions, “both on the gameplay and story fronts.” But you can still expect the pillars of the franchise “fully intact,” including “diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.”