WhileMass Effectfans love the series for many reasons, to them it is strange to think of the galaxy without Commander Shepard. The protagonist for the first threeMass Effectgames is a character that strangely stands out, even considering the fact that a player’s decisions can change the Shepard that they play as. However, there are some consistencies about the Commander’s personality, no matter which path players take, such as the inability to dance that has spawned manyMass Effectmemes.Still, with the announcement of a newMass Effectgame in the works, more than a few fans are holding out hope that the next entry could bring about the return of Shepard. There was even a glimmer of hope around Shepard’s return when aMass Effectlithograph on the BioWare store had the following as its description: “While Shepard and the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what’s next.” This piece of marketing seemed to confirm Shepard’s return and was enough to send theMass Effectcommunity into wild speculation, creating YouTube videos, articles, and more.RELATED:Mass Effect 4 May Have Accidentally Confirmed Shepard’s ReturnFollowing the fan craze around this supposed leak, BioWare has since confirmed that the mention of Shepard spawned from a mistake. “Yeah, that was a mistake,“Mass Effectproject director Michael Gamble wrote. He later added that the description had been written by people unfamiliar with the game. While it did seem unlikely from theinitialMass Effect 4trailerthat Shepard would return, that didn’t stop fans from theorizing how the character would come back into the franchise.
While it does seem thatMass Effect 4will bring players back to the Milky Way rather than the Andromeda galaxy, it appears less likely that the famous Commander will return. Not only would that have tocanonize the destroy ending ofMass Effect 3, but it would also have to explain how Shepard survived way past normal human life expectancy. Due to the Asari Liara looking significantly older in theMass Effect 4trailer, fans believe the sequel could take place hundreds of years in the future, meaning Shepard would have likely passed from old age even if they survivedMass Effect 3.
BioWare has stated on multiple occasions that the end ofMass Effect 3brings about the end of Shepard’s story, no matter if a player managed to make them survive. ThenewMass Effectgame will likely bring about a new protagonist, and some are even speculating that alien races could be playable. Besides the squad mates that can be given the occasional order,Mass Effect’saliens have up till now remained firmly as NPCs, despite many wanting to play as a Turian, Asari, or even Krogan.
Mass Effect 4is in development.
MORE:Mass Effect 4: The Pros and Cons of Shepard’s Potential Return
