Some of the people who spent years building the next Mass Effect are finally able to say so. Following EA's decision to close BioWare and end development on the game, two acclaimed science fiction novelists have revealed that they were part of its writing team.
Catherynne M. Valente and Derek Kunsken both took to X within hours of the closure, and their posts offer the first real glimpse of how the people behind the game feel about losing it.
Valente Spent More Than Three Years On The Game
Valente went first, explaining that she now had permission to share something she had hoped would be "revealed with much more fanfare." She said she spent more than three years as one of the game's writers, calling the project "one of the greatest privileges & GLORIOUS challenges of my life."
She wrote that she "worked HARD for the fans, every day" and that she is "devastated by the end of #MassEffect," adding that she doesn't know how to express how gutted she truly is.
Valente also pushed back on the idea that the series had lost its way. Responding to a post claiming the industry couldn't figure out how to make a sequel to one of the best games ever made, she replied, "We did figure it out. We were working on a great game. Just saying."
She later added that "the game content I wrote will never come out," and noted that she has a long history with the franchise beyond this project. Valente wrote the 2018 tie-in novel Mass Effect: Annihilation, and she said Mass Effect "was, is, and always will be, my favorite video game of all time." When fans asked if she could share any of the lore she created, she said she isn't allowed to yet, but would if that ever changes.
Kunsken Was On The Project For Years
Kunsken, author of the Quantum Evolution novels, shared a six-part thread later that evening. He explained that he had spent much of the last five years working at BioWare as a contract writer and later as a senior writer on staff, without being allowed to say where he worked.
"Unfortunately, the light turned green because #Bioware is being shuttered," he wrote. He said he hopes to share more about his work in the coming weeks, adding, "what we were cooking was really cool."
Kunsken praised the team, describing everyone he met at BioWare as "a decent human being, an expert in their field," and singled out Parrish Ley and Mary DeMarle as highlights of his writing career. He also called his work with Valente on story, characters and lore "the most energizing, in-the-zone collaboration I've ever had."
He ended the thread by thinking of his colleagues. "All fifty deserve to be lauded and to land safely in new jobs," he wrote. In a later reply, he described the closure as "a loss to the whole scifi gaming community."
A Team That Believed In The Project
Both writers make the same point in different ways. Whatever the business reasons behind EA's decision, the people on the ground felt they had something special. Neither revealed story details, setting or characters, and both say they're still working out what they're allowed to share.
Their posts also show how much creative talent BioWare was bringing in. Recruiting established novelists to shape the next chapter suggests the studio was taking the story side of the game very seriously.
A Rough Reaction Online
Sadly, not every response has been kind. Some replies to Valente's posts have been hostile and abusive, which is a grim reminder that the people most affected by a cancellation are often the developers themselves. Many fans have pushed back with messages of support for both writers and the wider team.
The decision to shut down BioWare has already sparked talk about whether EA might one day sell the Mass Effect license. For now, though, the writers' words are the closest fans will get to the game that might have been.
What do you think of the writers speaking out, and would you want them to share their Mass Effect lore if they get permission?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.