A user on Reddit has discovered what is likely to be the name of the Mass Effect: Andromeda protagonist, hidden away in the game's recent N7 Day trailer.
With players being very much kept in the dark with BioWare's upcoming title, Mass Effect: Andromeda, fans of the series have taken matters into their own hands. Since Mass Effect: Andromeda's reveal, BioWare has been careful to hold off on giving any details about the game, but the company did make an exception for their yearly holiday, N7 Day.
On November 7th, BioWare released a short teaser trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda, where players can hear the series' iconic Commander Shepard handing off the protagonist mantle to the yet to be revealed lead character of the next title in the ground-breaking Mass Effect series. Now, Reddit user Benelioto believes that they have discovered a clue in the trailer that reveals the name of this mysterious new lead.
At the 44-second mark in the trailer, a dog tag can be found on the left side of the screen that, when enlarged, appears to read either "Ryder" or "Rider". Benelioto believes not only that could this be the new protagonist's name, but that it is also a tribute to Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into space.
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What's more, whilst several fans have complained that the song "Ghost Riders In The Sky", which accompanies the teaser, isn't a good match for the Mass Effect universe, BioWare's studio director Yanick Roy has previously stated that there are "very good reasons for that choice of song for the trailer that should become clear later on." Perhaps what Roy was referring to was the song's title including the new protagonist's name.
Mass Effect Andromeda will be the first game in the series to not feature Commander Shepard as the game's playable character. Whilst this has understandably caused some fans to criticize the direction that BioWare is taking, senior development director Chris Wynn claims that a Mass Effect game without Shepard can still be good and that players should keep an open mind.
Judging by the game's E3 trailer, Andromeda aims to deliver a whole new universe, filled with new adventures and alien races to encounter. Commander Shepard's story ended in Mass Effect 3 and the new game is reportedly not related to the trilogy in any way meaning that there will be a brand new adventure heading to experience when the title releases.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is slated for a 2016 release on current-gen platforms.
Source: Reddit