Leaked Mass Effect 5 trailer reveals cancelled 'Mass Effect: Universe'

A trailer for the cancelled Mass Effect 5 has surfaced online, per IGN. The video was reportedly an internal presentation for EA leadership last year and was never intended for public release. It leaked on Reddit just a day after EA announced the game's cancellation and the shuttering of developer BioWare.

The footage, verified as legitimate by IGN, begins with a disclaimer calling it in-engine work using pre-production assets. It concludes with a title card reading 'Mass Effect: Universe.' The trailer shows familiar series hallmarks like space travel, a Mass Effect relay, a galaxy map, and a nightclub. It also briefly depicts a romantic encounter.

According to the report, the player was to be a former military operative in a new line of work focused on preventing conflicts. The clip features an older version of the asari character Liara T'Soni assisting in a bar fight. BioWare had previously indicated the sequel would be set centuries after the original trilogy in a Reaper-free Milky Way.

In the wake of the cancellation, former staff have commented on the project. One laid-off cinematic supervisor posted online that the game would have given players an unprecedented degree of freedom and decision-making power, aiming to elevate the series while honoring its roots.

IGN also notes that a separate, public-facing trailer for the game was reportedly completed prior to EA's decision to cancel the project and close the studio.