At this time is November 7, or as BioWare and the Mass Impact fan neighborhood may name it, N7 Day. Dubbed for the insignia Commander Shepard bears all through their journey within the authentic trilogy, it’s often a day of celebrating the sequence and a few information about future tasks.

Whereas the quantity of reports has various through the years, BioWare has a brand new Mass Impact within the oven. So naturally, the developer revealed an ARG path at the moment that led to some cryptic teasers. The excellent news, is that they’re for the brand new Mass Impact. The much less thrilling information? They’re fairly slim.

After the primary two trailers, code-named Epsilon and Oculon, have been revealed displaying a mysterious determine in an N7 jacket strolling, the Nebula trailer gave us a full-on view of our enigmatic strider. It’s… somebody carrying a helmet.

Totaling 31 seconds as much as that time, it appears to be the top of the ARG and N7 Day teases. So except it’s affirmation that Daft Punk is starring within the subsequent entry, we’re going to want to do some hypothesis.

Beneath the masks

An vital factor to notice, earlier than speaking any potentialities, is that it does seem to be Andromeda is enjoying into this new Mass Impact. Textual content on the primary “Epsilon” teaser web page reads:

/////SECONDARY ENCRYPTION DETECTED
/////VJBSVU-XXXX-XXXXXXXX
/////ANDROMEDA DISTRESS SIGNAL DETECTED
/////YEAR SENT: [REDACTED]/////AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD KNOW BY NOW NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE HUMAN [REDACTED]

Couple that with earlier teases, together with each the Milky Method and Andromeda galaxies being proven within the Sport Awards reveal trailer, hints that we’re bridging the trilogy and its not-quite-so-beloved cousin.

There are just a few prevailing theories about who this character may very well be. Choice A appears to line up greatest with the earlier Sport Awards teaser: that’s Liara. She may very well be donning the N7 insignia, an ode to her (possible) fallen commander, and jetting off to assist the Andromeda system with its Kett downside.

One other, considerably bewildering chance, is whether or not this may very well be Commander Shepard. The timeline doesn’t actually add up there; due to the lengthy distance between the galaxies, the occasions of Mass Impact: Andromeda happen centuries after the trilogy. That may in all probability entail some heavy narrative lifting to justify, and likewise really feel slightly weak for individuals who selected endings in ME3 that didn’t assure the Commander’s survival.

Or, perhaps that is Ryder, the Andromeda protagonist? Or perhaps some new protagonist, now right here from a Milky Method the place the N7 image has turn into a Model, a mark of heroics and braveness, or spun off its personal Spectre-like faction of space-faring downside solvers. “The Shepards” has a pleasant ring to it.

That is all utterly idle hypothesis, nevertheless it’s actually all now we have to go off, with only a few items of idea artwork and a roughly 30-second teaser.

Different N7 Day happenings

Alongside the drip-feed of teasers, BioWare has been dealing with backlash. Per Polygon, all unionized testers at Key phrases, a studio which does testing for BioWare, have been laid off in late September after BioWare declined to proceed its contract in August.

Sport Developer studies these testers are set to picket at the moment on the BioWare Edmonton places of work. EA and BioWare reportedly appealed to the Alberta Labor Relations Board to dam the protest, saying they weren’t entitled to protest exterior BioWare as they have been a distant workforce, however the board dominated within the union’s favor.

Moreover, BioWare was caught up within the wave of layoffs that’s swept the business this yr. The studio eradicated roughly 50 roles, to assist BioWare be a “extra agile and extra targeted studio.” A number of builders have since sued the corporate, claiming it nonetheless owes them their due severance.

It’s simple to see, then, why this yr’s N7 Day doesn’t really feel fairly the identical. Quick teases don’t offset the business points, and with Dragon Age: Dreadwolf nonetheless ready to see the sunshine of day, a brand new Mass Impact feels as distant because the Andromeda galaxy.