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 Veilguardcontinues this tradition, pulling fromTevinter NightsandThe Missingto create a more interconnected world. Lucanis Dellamorte, a character whose story was written within Tevinter Nights, became one of the leads inDragon Age: The Veilguard.
While this isn’t a new approach for BioWare, it signals an important trend forMass Effect, especially as the studio’s primary focus shifts toward its next sci-fi installmentfollowing the departure of much of theDragon Ageteam. Based on this recent release, fans may want to dust off the alternative media from previousMass Effectentries.
Mass Effect’s Past Ties to Extended Media
LikeDragon Age,Mass Effecthas a long history of using tie-in material to expand its universe. Novels such asMass Effect: RevelationandAscensionprovided deeper insight into Cerberus and the Illusive Man well before they became central figures inMass Effect 2.Mass Effect: Retributiondelved into the consequences of Cerberus' experiments with Reaper technology, a theme later explored inMass Effect 3. TheMass Effect: Redemptioncomic played a crucial role in explaining howLiara T’Soni recovered Commander Shepard’s body, setting upMass Effect 2’sopening events. More recently,Mass Effect: Andromeda’s tie-in novels explored the struggles of the Andromeda Initiative, particularly inNexus 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 nextMass Effectgame will follow suit. If BioWare continues to integrate external lore, key plot points or characters from past tie-ins may play a larger role. TheQuarian ark storyline fromAnnihilation, for example, could be revisited, resolving a lingering plot thread about the missing fleet. Similarly,Mass Effect: Deceptionintroduced 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 theDragon Ageteam now gone, the studio’s focus is squarely on the nextMass Effect. This shift means thatMass Effectfans 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 thatDragon Ageno longer has the same internal presence at the studio, it is unlikely that BioWare will continue producing as many tie-ins for that franchise, makingMass 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 nextMass Effectmay bridge the gap between Shepard’s era and the Andromeda Initiative. If extended media is any indication, BioWare might draw fromAnnihilationto address the fate of the Quarian ark or use plot points fromNexus Uprisingto flesh out the political struggles of a post-Reaper war galaxy. The introduction of new protagonists could even mirrorThe Veilguard’sapproach, with characters who previously appeared in books or comics taking on major roles in the game.
Additionally, the unanswered questions fromMass Effect: Deception, such as conflicts between biotic factions orCerberus 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 Veilguardreinforces what BioWare has been doing for years—using external stories to enhance its games. But with the studio now fully committed toMass Effect, longtime fans should look beyond the games if they want to piece together what’s coming next. The future ofMass Effectmay already be written—it’s just a matter of where BioWare decides to pick up the story.
