Canceled Mass Effect sequel aimed for unprecedented player freedom, former BioWare cinematics lead says
A former BioWare cinematic supervisor has described the studio's canceled Mass Effect sequel as an attempt to give players more agency than other RPGs have achieved. Tony de Waal said the team looked at recent releases from Larian and CD Projekt while trying to stay true to the original trilogy. He estimated that roughly 50 people were working on the project before BioWare was shut down.
Tony de Waal, formerly a cinematic supervisor at BioWare, said the canceled Mass Effect project had about fifty staff. He had been with the company for nearly three decades, departed soon after Mass Effect 2 arrived, and came back in 2021 to work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
He said the team studied recent work from Larian and CD Projekt as it sought greater player agency while honoring the original trilogy. BioWare's closure came during EA restructuring after its acquisition by Saudi PIF and other investors; more than 400 jobs were cut as EA shifted toward live-service shooters and sports.
The loss of this project could matter most to RPG players who value branching choices, and to developers who see large-scale narrative games as a benchmark for interactive storytelling. Its cancellation may also deepen concerns among game workers about job stability during publisher restructuring. Because the game was never released, its actual influence is uncertain; the discussion may instead shape expectations for future RPGs and how studios talk about player agency.