It’s been hard not to notice that BioWare hasn’t been doing as well as it could be in recent years, as its last two released titles haven’t gone over nearly as well as the company had hoped. Therefore, the possibility of a Mass Effect remaster is more than just that; it could be the start of a major comeback for BioWare as a whole.

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BioWare’s Decline

While debatable, since the ending of Mass Effect 3 threw BioWare’s fanbase into enraged chaos, most would argue that BioWare’s decline began after the release of Mass Effect Andromeda. The thing is, Andromeda wasn’t a bad game, but the number of bugs it had upon launch definitely stifled fans’ enthusiasm for it. The launch of Andromeda occurred in 2017, about three years after the launch of BioWare’s lauded Dragon Age: Inquisition. The company had run into hot water before with Mass Effect 3, but Inquisition was such a resounding success that BioWare managed to save a lot of its goodwill.

Thus, Andromeda’s lackluster arrival began BioWare’s decline, and that decline was cemented with the equally–if not more so–lackluster arrival of Anthem, BioWare’s foray into online multiplayer action RPGs. The lack of enthusiasm surrounding Anthem’s arrival (which ensued in part because the game failed to stand out, because it had a number of mechanical problems with loot, and more) led to about a year of less-than-successful life for the game before EA decided to revamp it.

So, at the moment, it’s been years since a Dragon Age or Mass Effect title has been released, nearly eight years since the end of the Mass Effect trilogy, and BioWare has yet to formally announce anything but the Anthem remaster (even though we know there’s more in the works than that). But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: it means that there are a number of things BioWare can do from here to save its reputation as one of the best RPG developers in the industry.

The Current Possibilities

As of right now, there are a couple of things we know BioWare has brewing. Most notably is the Anthem revamp that BioWare promised before anything else. Anthem could use the attention, but as we noted previously, a Mass Effect remaster would go a much longer way overall to restoring BioWare’s universal goodwill. Then there’s Dragon Age 4, which is definitively being worked on, yet still hasn’t been more than teaed. There’s the Mass Effect remaster itself, which also has yet to be formally announced, and then there’s Mass Effect 5, something we know is coming but most likely won’t arrive for years at least.

So BioWare clearly has plenty going on, but what do they all mean for the company? Well, hopefully, the Mass Effect trilogy remaster will come first–current reports suggest it’ll be out this financial year, which ends in March of 2021–and the remaster has been so highly anticipated and requested that it’s practically an ace in the hole for BioWare. Presumably the Anthem revamp will follow, which if done well, could still help BioWare’s reputation. Dragon Age 4 will most likely come after that, hopefully sooner rather than later since it’s already been over five years since the release of Inquisition, and if BioWare can nail it like the company nailed Inquisition, that could cement the developer’s comeback.

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The Importance of a Mass Effect Remaster

The Mass Effect trilogy is easily BioWare’s most widely-known and recognized franchise to date, and Mass Effect 2 in particular is at the top of pretty much any “Best RPGs of All Time” list out there. Based on that, there’s really no downside for BioWare or EA in releasing a remaster: it’d be good for business, since the games already have so many fans established, and it’d please the masses of fans who have been asked for the remaster for the past five years. The return of the beloved original Mass Effect games could very well herald the return of all the love that BioWare got from its fans during the games’ heyday.

A remaster could also represent a chance for BioWare to further tweak the ending of Mass Effect 3, something that it was first forced to do in quite the hurry when fans reacted strongly in opposition to the original ending. Plus, remasters are always a good opportunity to include previously cut content, as well as including and polishing up all of the games’ existing DLC. At the very least, the Mass Effect games will get a massive graphical overhaul that catch it up to date with Andromeda, and at best, the games will get some of the aforementioned extras thrown into the mix.

Right now, it’s looking like EA could announce the remaster in the late summer or fall, for a winter 2020 or spring 2021 release. Certainly, the holidays would be the perfect time to drop something so highly requested, so the odds look good. Still, fans should temper their expectations, since none of this is guaranteed yet. Hopefully, BioWare will go ahead and confirm a Mass Effect trilogy remaster sooner rather than later, as it’ll only help the developer on its way to a comeback.

The Mass Effect trilogy is available to play on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

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