Leaked Mass Effect 5 Trailer Is Real, Offers Glimpse of Cancelled Game

Update [Fri 23rd Oct 2026, 12am]:

The disclosed Mass Effect 5 trailer, which surfaced on Reddit earlier today, is authentic.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and IGN have both confirmed the video independently, which was posted to the franchise’s subreddit just a day after the studio BioWare was abruptly shut down.

The exact manner in which the video circulated online remains uncertain, but it is presumed to have been shared by an ex-employee to provide fans with a sneak peek of the ongoing project.

The game – codenamed Mass Effect Universe – would have marked the series’ return to its Milky Way backdrop, although it would have been set millennia after the occurrences of Mass Effect 3.

We were already aware that beloved character Liara was poised to make her comeback.

Even though the video has been circulated online, the endeavor was still in its very early stages of development. BioWare personnel seem quite optimistic about their work.

Regrettably, it will now never come to fruition.

Original Story: A Mass Effect 5 trailer, crafted with “pre-production assets”, seems to have leaked on Reddit following the closure of BioWare this week.

While it’s challenging to verify the authenticity of the footage, it does not initially appear to be AI-generated. Earlier today, it was also reported by IGN that a fresh trailer for the game had been produced internally.

The speculation here is that a former staff member may have “accidentally” misplaced the video file for fans to view.

If this is genuine, it’s remarkably early material – it even notes that the project is being pursued by a “small team”. We understand that the renowned studio had around 50 employees before its closure.

There’s a possibility that BioWare might have created this video for N7 Day, an annual celebration of the Mass Effect franchise, set for the 7th of November.

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