Mass Effect Universe planned a save-based multiverse

A cancelled BioWare project called Mass Effect Universe was designed around a bold idea: every save file could represent its own version of the galaxy.

Romain Toutain, a BioWare technical director who joined the studio in 2022, discussed the project during a Twitch broadcast while watching a leaked trailer for the planned Mass Effect instalment. He covered its story, gameplay and technology, describing a game built to give players unusually broad control over its narrative.

The discussion was also a reminder that the project remains unreleased. Some details are still confidential, including information that former writers and other developers are unable to share.

A new alien was hiding in the trailer

Toutain identified the trailer’s bartender as a member of an entirely new alien species. He described the organic, Reaper-like character as hairy and suggested it may have been capable of growing additional tentacles.

A new Quarian companion was shown examining the creature with a bioscanner and displaying the resulting data to the N7 protagonist. Toutain could not provide further explanation because parts of the project remain under confidentiality restrictions.

Each save could create a different universe

The central technical concept gave the game its name. Decisions from the original Mass Effect trilogy, and presumably Mass Effect: Andromeda, would continue to matter in Universe. Each save file would function as its own universe, with player choices shaping a distinct timeline.

Every major decision could branch into another version of events. Toutain compared the structure to Zero Time Dilemma, where a choice creates an alternate universe in which a different decision was made. That approach would even allow players to make choices that conflict with decisions made earlier in their playthrough.

To support the system, the developers built technology that tracked which decisions were connected to important plot points. Where a connection did not already exist, the team would create one, allowing the same broad story to produce substantially different experiences.

Players could also share save files if they discovered an especially interesting route through the story. This branching structure was not a side feature; it was the foundation around which the project was being developed. The stated aim was to give players “absolute autonomy”.

A project with no clear path back

Fans, staff and voice actors have reportedly been pushing to preserve the Mass Effect project and stop the franchise from being abandoned. However, Toutain sounded pessimistic about its prospects. In a remark captured before the clip cuts off, he said EA does not sell its properties and instead shuts projects down while retaining the licences.

The concept is a striking example of how modern role-playing games can use branching saves as more than simple checkpoints. For readers interested in the wider games industry, the RETROCADE arcade blog covers additional gaming and arcade news, while the arcade video collection explores interactive entertainment from another angle.

For anyone considering a dedicated gaming setup at home, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide is a useful starting point.