New 'Mass Effect' Novel Announced By BioWare
Despite the failure of "Mass Effect: Andromeda" to revitalize the franchise, BioWare isn't about to give up on its prized IP (intellectual property) just yet. The EA subsidiary recently announced a new novel based on the sci-fi action shooter's universe which is set to be released next year.
Titled "Mass Effect: Annihilation", the tie-in book will be written by Hugo Award-winning author Catherynne M. Valente. It tells the story of of the Keelah Si'yah's journey to Andromeda as it transports 20,000 quarian, batarian, drell, and elcor colonists.
According to the story's description provided by BioWare, "A pathogen is discovered aboard the ark after many drell are found dead in their cryo pods. As the pathogen jumps species, the ship's systems begin to fail, making it clear this is no accident."
"Mass Effect: Annihilation" is set to be released in the US, UK and Canada on June 26, 2018. The novel will also be available for purchase in Australia a couple of months later on Aug. 28, 2018.
The book is aimed at fans who, while may or may not have enjoyed the game itself, were enthralled by the new story presented by "Mass Effect: Andromeda." Because after the deluge of complaints regarding the game's facial animation problems, disappointing gay romance options, transphobia, lack of diversity, and "No Man's Sky"-like planet grinding, and many more, the game's story could very well be its only saving grace.
While BioWare tried to fix the myriad of issues with constant updates and patches, it was only a matter of time before they threw in the towel. It was probably not surprising that the developer confirmed earlier this year that that there will be no more single-player updates or content for released for "Mass Effect: Andromeda" although they would continue to release patches in order to improve the experience.
"Mass Effect: Andromeda" is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.