Mass Effect fans have been asking for the original trilogy to be remade for quite some time, and unfortunately, that means rumors that it is happening have often reared their head to no avail. For many, 2020 finally seemed to be the year where these rumors finally came true, as EA promised remakes of HD titles, new Mass Effect books were given a release date, and more. Prior to the latest rumors, there were two big ones out there: that either the game would get a strange reveal and release date in October or that the game would be announced at N7 day.
The latest rumor reports that the Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy has been internally delayed until 2021, which itself is not surprising. 2020 has been a particularly hard year, and with the impact of COVID-19 indubitably hitting BioWare and EA, neither company may have been to hit their deadlines. However, there is one problem: if this is indeed true, then it is an internal delay. In other words, the game hasn’t been revealed yet, and while fans were excited for that to happen with a release in 2020, there’s not much that fans can actually know for certain about said delay.
The Dark Road of the Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy
At this point, there’s one big question looming over the remaster: why hasn’t it been announced yet? If it was initially planning for a 2020 release, it should at least be known to the public by now. This reported Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy delay into 2021 comes without a more specific window, which is a given since the game isn’t even official yet. In other words, it is a good report on a concerning thing about a game that the general public only knows about through rumors. If that sounds murky, it should.
That’s not to cast doubt on the report, which states that alongside COVID, remastering the original Mass Effect game has presented new challenges. This all makes sense, and it seems likely that the game is a real thing. But just as this internal delay is more of an abstract thing than an official announcement, the game remains more of an abstract thing than anything with proof. New dates of a late 2021 release, rumblings of how long this delay is, and more likely all sound familiar to fans of the franchise—it’s happened before.
Rumors of the Mass Effect remaster would emerge over the years, things would reportedly go wrong, and then it would fade into obscurity. With a broad, unconfirmed internal delay into 2021, that fits the very same pattern for every time it was rumored before. Now, an announcement on N7 day with a confirmation of a 2021 window would be more than enough to lay this to rest, but BioWare could before then but hasn’t, which is bad. Simply put, while fans put a lot of stock into this rumor and BioWare doesn’t move to shut it down, it’s just going to be another disappointment for fans if it turns out to be just another rumor.
The Pros and Cons for Mass Effect, if True
However, let’s posit that this is all indeed true, and that the Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy does aim to release next year. There’s obviously the importance of polishing up the game and resolving the reported problems with the original game, and the extra time could prevent another Mass Effect Andromeda or Anthem situation. A late 2021 release date would even go so far as to suggest that it would be a next-gen release, as an October 2020 release date hinted at Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy being a last hurrah on current consoles.
But that doesn’t come without its drawbacks either. For example, Outriders is a promising new sci-fi RPG that is in a bit of a similar boat. Unlike the remastered trilogy, fans know that Outriders has existed for quite some time. It was delayed out of its 2020 window to a reasonable February 2, 2021 slot, but that delay at least came with concrete information and a release date. Couple this with the possibility of Bethesda’s Starfield releasing next year as well, and it’s clear that the remaster will have more competition than if it indeed released in 2020.
If done right, it’s worth mentioning that this trilogy holds a special place in many hearts. It would be really hard to mess it up, and there’s not a lot of competition that could force it out of the way. However, it’s clear that Outriders is leading the pack. It is the first with confirmed information on next-gen sci-fi RPGs, and it’s likely to scratch a lot of itches left in the wake of Mass Effect. Outriders looks like what Mass Effect Andromeda should have been, after all, and therein lines the problem: if Outriders is leading the pack, there is only a presumption that the pack includes Mass Effect.
With little information and high expectation, everything about the Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy remains uncertain, and if there is no official confirmation soon, 2021 just becomes another rumor. At a dime-a-dozen, it won’t be long into 2021 that 2022 rumors rear their head, new cancelation rumors pop up, and more. As such, this needs to move from the abstract to the concrete soon, lest it just get lost in the wind like every rumor before it.
Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy is reported to release in 2021.
