The next BioWare project after Dragon Age: The Veilguard is expected to be Mass Effect. However, there is an opinion that the new installment of the franchise might not make it to release and could be canceled.
Emmanuel Rosier, former top manager at Electronic Arts and now an analyst at Newzoo agency, suggests that after EA's acquisition by investors from Saudi Arabia and investment companies Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the new Mass Effect could simply be canceled.
The specialist noted that Electronic Arts currently has a debt of $20 billion, and BioWare has been facing problems in recent years. He also reminded that he worked with the studio for many years and said that the development of its games "can drag on for many years."
The new Mass Effect could ultimately be canceled "if the new investor has no particular understanding of the franchise's history, they will most likely make the most financially sound decision:
In recent years, [BioWare] has struggled both as a studio and as a brand, and I don't know if they will continue to fund this project. Perhaps that's the main question for me. I'll put it this way: I will only believe in the existence of a new Mass Effect when I see it with my own eyes.
The analyst expressed the opinion that one of Electronic Arts' main priorities will remain sports projects, such as football simulators – which are popular in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. He also expects esports, which is also popular in the region, to be promoted.
The future of franchises like Ultima or Wing Commander seems uncertain to him. He suggests that some rights might be sold or third-party developers might be hired to create new games.