‘BioWare’ Cashes In On ‘Mass Effect’ Story Gap With Filler Novels

“Mass Effect” is arguably one of the most beloved video game franchises in history, even with the controversial ending of the third installment in the series. As such, anything that has to do with the titles is expected to sell. Whether they are expansions or collectibles, there is a lucrative market for anything “Mass Effect,” and now “BioWare’s” new scheme involves four spinoff novels.

In light of the upcoming “Mass Effect: Andromeda” title, which is set a long time after the events of “Mass Effect 3,” “BioWare” decided that fans of the series will need a way to bridge the gap between the end of the “Reaper War” and the arrival at the Andromeda galaxy. By partnering with “Titan Books” publishing, the video game developers hope to enlighten players about the events that led to the Andromeda expedition that will help them better appreciate the game.

According to Titan Books, the spinoff novels will actually act as more of prequels and sequels to the games, thus adding missing information that could be critical in unraveling certain plot points. As Eurogamer reported, the novels will be brought to literary life by N. K. Jemisin.

Jemisin is a sci-fi writer who has been nominated for the Hugo Award as well as the Nebula Award for her debut work, “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.” The first of the four novels will be coming out this August, for those who want to reserve copies.

At this moment, fans only have speculations regarding the actual story of the “Andromeda” installment and how it is connected to the original “Mass Effect” trilogy. It has been confirmed that the new game is set in the distant future, way after the death of “Commander Shepard,” but it isn’t clear if the story will even delve into the details that occurred during the war.