BioWare’s Next Mass Effect Needs Room for the Team’s Vision, Former Developer Says

BioWare’s next Mass Effect has one simple piece of advice from a developer who worked on the series’ early games: give the team enough room to make the game it wants to make. Armando Troisi said the studio’s returning veterans already understand how to build a cinematic RPG, and outside interference could get in the way.

BioWare first announced the next Mass Effect at The Game Awards in 2020. The project has shared few public updates during the long wait, but Troisi remains confident in the developers who are still attached to it.

In an interview with FRVR, Troisi was asked whether he had any advice for BioWare’s team. He worked as a cinematic designer on Mass Effect, lead cinematic designer on Mass Effect 2, and narrative director on Halo 4.

His answer centered on the people already attached to the project. Troisi pointed to lead designer Preston Watamaniuk, art director Derek Watts, and lead cinematic animator Parrish Ley, all of whom he said had worked on the original trilogy and were still at BioWare.

“I don’t think there’s anything that I could tell them that they don’t know what to do,” Troisi said. “They know this stuff.” He also recalled a message Watamaniuk wrote in a farewell card after Troisi left the studio, describing “passion and craft” as the foundation of excellence.

Troisi’s confidence came with a condition. “If people get out of the way and let game creators just do their thing, you never know the magic that they can create,” he said. He acknowledged that a project of Mass Effect’s scale involves many competing demands, but argued that trusting the developers gives the game its best chance.

He also described BioWare’s traditional formula as a mix of single-player storytelling, interactive narrative, deep combat, and progression. Troisi said the studio once had a clear approach to those elements and kept improving it before the industry’s live-service push pulled BioWare in other directions. He did not outline a specific production plan for Mass Effect, but his broader point was that the next game should stay close to the kind of RPG BioWare has long made.

Skepticism around the next game also reflects BioWare’s recent record. Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda were widely considered disappointments, while Dragon Age: The Veilguard received a divisive response. The studio’s recent releases have made it easier for fans to question whether BioWare can return to the kind of RPG that established its reputation.

BioWare is carrying that difficult record into its current work. Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched in 2025, Anthem’s servers shut down in 2026, and EA completed a $55 billion buyout. Those developments have put more attention on the decisions made above the development team.

Former EA senior manager Emmanuel Rosier has also questioned whether EA will continue funding the next Mass Effect as the publisher adjusts to its new financial reality. Our coverage of the project’s ownership concerns detailed that warning.

Troisi’s comments are a vote of confidence, not a release update. They do not provide a release date or new gameplay details, but they offer a counterpoint to the idea that the project is already doomed.

BioWare has previously confirmed that the next Mass Effect remains in development, as covered in the studio’s earlier update about the project. Troisi’s comments add a former team member’s view of what BioWare needs to protect while the game takes shape.

“I think BioWare can do it if we just leave them alone to do what they do best,” Troisi said. “I’m rooting for them.”

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