{
  "id": 16065762,
  "title": "Mass Effect 5 Dev Says BioWare Saw What Larian and CD Projekt Had Done in the RPG Space and Was Taking the Franchise to ‘The Next Level’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/mass-effect-5-dev-says-bioware-saw-what-larian-and-cd-projekt-had",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T15:50:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/mass-effect-5-dev-says-bioware-saw-what-larian-and-cd-projekt-had-done-in-the-rpg-space-and-was-taking-the-franchise-to-the-next-level"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A former Mass Effect 5 developer has shared that BioWare was inspired by the achievements of Larian and CD Projekt in the RPG space, aiming to elevate the franchise to new heights. Yesterday, EA announced that the next Mass Effect game was canceled and BioWare would be shutting down, leaving around 50 people jobless. Some of the developers have expressed their disappointment, stating that Mass Effect 5 would have been a remarkable game, offering unparalleled autonomy and choice to players. They claim they were inspired by Larian and CD Projekt's success with games like The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur's Gate 3, which have set new standards in the RPG genre. BioWare had been teasing the next Mass Effect game's setting and story, hinting at it being set hundreds of years after the original trilogy and focusing on the Milky Way galaxy. The canceled project was reportedly being developed with the ambition to match the likes of The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk, and Baldur's Gate 3 in terms of player choice and decision-making.",
  "summary": "A former Mass Effect 5 developer has said that BioWare had seen what RPG powerhouses Larian and CD Projekt were achieving with their games, and was responding by taking Mass Effect to “the next level.”",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "PC Gamer",
        "title": "The next Mass Effect would have had 'a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match', according to BioWare veteran",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/the-next-mass-effect-would-have-had-a-level-of-autonomy-and-choice",
        "published": "2026-10-22T01:14:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Lowyat.NET",
        "title": "EA To Close BioWare; Cancels Next Mass Effect",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/ea-to-close-bioware-cancels-next-mass-effect",
        "published": "2026-10-22T02:45:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ProPakistani",
        "title": "End of an Era: EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels Mass Effect 5",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/end-of-an-era-ea-shuts-down-bioware-and-cancels-mass-effect-5",
        "published": "2026-10-22T13:37:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}