Mass Effect TV series to focus on 'brand-new story' without Commander Shepard

Amazon's live-action adaptation of BioWare's Mass Effect is currently in production. As part of the latest 'N7 Day' update from BioWare's Mike Gamble, we've learned some fresh details about the show's setting and story. It seems that, like Amazon's successful Fallout adaptation, the Mass Effect TV series won't be retelling stories and narrative arcs from the games.

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Yes, this means Commander Shepard and his crew will be a no-show as the TV series will be set after the original trilogy and focus on a brand-new story within the Mass Effect timeline. The TV series will be canon, in that events depicted will be official, as BioWare is working closely with Amazon on the adaptation.

"We've been partnering closely with Amazon on it, and we're really excited with what the talented team over there is coming up with," Mike Gamble, Executive Producer, Mass Effect, writes. "The writers' room is going strong, and we've got a lot figured out about how it fits within the Mass Effect canon, and where it sits in respect to the new game."

• Read more: Amazon's Mass Effect TV has a 'great pilot script' and Fallout's production team

Although not a confirmation, the comment about how the Mass Effect TV series relates to the next Mass Effect game could imply some crossover. "The show will explore a brand-new story within the universe's timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy," Mike Gamble continues. "It won't be a retread of Commander Shepard's story - because after all, that's YOUR story, isn't it?"

The fact that Amazon's Mass Effect TV series won't depict the adventure of Commander Shepard as he and his team take on the Geth is probably not a problem for fans of the RGB series. The original Mass Effect trilogy is renowned for the extensive choice it gave players over the narrative and outcomes of character storylines, so any adaptation would likely alienate fans whose Commander Shepard behaved differently. That said, the TV series and the next game will establish one of Mass Effect 3's multiple endings as canon, so there will be some online discussion surrounding that.

There's still no word on when we might see the Mass Effect series, outside of word that the writer's room is in full swing and that a pilot script was completed and deemed "great" by showrunner Doug Jung earlier this year.