Fans have been long-awaiting an update on Amazon's Mass Effect television series, and this week we finally learned that the adaptation is officially in development. Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is moving forward with development on the TV series with Fast & Furious 9 writer Daniel Casey set to write and and executive produce the adaptation.
Specific plot details are being kept under wraps. We're not sure if the series will directly adapt the main Mass Effect trilogy's story and feature the same characters, or if it will simply be set in the same universe. The original trilogy of games, developed by BioWare, followed Commander Shepard as he attempts to save the Milky Way galaxy from a race of ancient, hibernating machines known as the Reapers.
Mass Effect debuted in 2007, introducing players to the groundbreaking sci-fi epic. As Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy, players were tasked with investigating one of the Reapers' agents, Saren Arterius.
Mass Effect 2 was released in 2010. Picking up the story two years after Commander Shepard repelled the invading Reapers, players travel to the fringes of known space where a mysterious alien race known as Collectors is abducting entire human colonies to facilitate the Reapers' return.
The third and final game in the trilogy, Mass Effect 3, was released in 2012. The magnum opus of the trilogy, it depicts the final war between the Reapers and the rest of the galaxy, led by Commander Shepard.
All three games feature role-playing mechanics, including decision-making moments where your choices as Commander Shepard would impact future games' narratives. While the original trilogy was met with widespread acclaim and is regarded by many as one of the best sci-fi video game franchises of all time, the ending of Mass Effect 3 did draw criticism for its unsatisfying conclusion to the trilogy. This prompted EA to release an expanded cut with additional cutscenes.
A fourth game in the franchise, Mass Effect: Andromeda, was released in 2017. Set after the events of Mass Effect 2, the Andromeda Initiative attempts to establish new home worlds in the Andromeda Galaxy. Players take on the role of Scott or Sara Ryder, an inexperienced military recruit who becomes humanity's pathfinder, tasked with finding a new home world for humanity. Upon release, the game was met with mixed reception from critics and fans.
In 2020, EA and Bioware teased a new Mass Effect game. While not much has been revealed yet, the teaser trailer suggests it will serve as a sequel to the original trilogy and feature the return of Liara T'Soni.
With a universe as rich as the one Mass Effect offers, there's a lot for Casey and the writers to work with. His most recent work was the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga, but his experience also includes work on films like the sci-fi drama Kin and re-writes on 10 Cloverfield Lane.