BioWare officially confirmed that Mass Effect: Andromeda will no longer receive support for the game’s single-player campaign. That means no more updates and no DLC for the controversial sci-fi RPG.
Mass Effect: Andromeda had a bumpy release back in March as players discovered multiple issues, most infamously some broken facial animations. BioWare worked to bring performance updates to the game to patch up its bugs, such as the animations, customization options, and in-game storylines. Now, that work has come to an end just five months after launch.
Below is an excerpt from BioWare’s official announcement:
“Early in development, we decided to focus Mass Effect: Andromeda’s story on the Pathfinder, the exploration of the Andromeda galaxy, and the conflict with the Archon. The game was designed to further expand on the Pathfinder’s journey through this new galaxy with story-based APEX multiplayer missions and we will continue to tell stories in the Andromeda Galaxy through our upcoming comics and novels, including the fate of the quarian ark.
Our last update, 1.10, was the final update for Mass Effect: Andromeda. There are no planned future patches for single-player or in-game story content.”
Mass Effect is a decade-old series from publisher Electronic Arts, and it’s strange to see an installment in a cornerstone IP cease updates so soon after release. It will be the first title in the series to receive no post-release single-player DLC.
So why exactly is BioWare washing their hands of this project when they could profit from paid DLC’s in future? EA executive Blake Jorgensen was singing the game’s praises just last month, saying Mass Effect: Andromeda was a financial success that boosted sales up from last year. Wouldn’t they want to keep the money rolling in a while longer?
Response to the game has been mixed these past months, and BioWare had their work cut out for them with the series of patches made necessary by the less-than-successful launch. Perhaps the team felt enough work had gone into fixing a game that would never be fully repaired, and now it’s time to move on to another project.
There have been whispers that the Mass Effect series will go on a hiatus, and maybe that’s exactly what it needs. Ubisoft took a similar approach to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and its new installment is on the way to redefine the series for the better from what we’ve heard.
Although single-player support has ended, BioWare plans to continue multiplayer mode updates, “including new multiplayer missions, character kits, and what’s in store for N7 Day.” N7 Day is the series’ unofficial holiday on November 7th, named after the N7 logo on Mass Effect character uniforms.
So even if players won’t see any new content in the game’s main campaign, expect to continue Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s story in multiplayer missions and future publications.
Are you disappointed with BioWare’s decision to can support for Mass Effect: Andromeda? Or do you think they’ve done all they can at this point? Let us know in the comments.
