For N7 Day, BioWare released a teaser/poster for the new Mass Effect game. Fans have already dug into it a lot, speculating on who the characters are, dead reapers making the giant hole, and the dead Geth being Legion. Perhaps the most important thing, which has been teased plenty of times and this post doubles down on, is the canonization of the Destroy Ending.
Now, there is a whole conversation to be had about how that undermines player choice in Mass Effect 3, but for the future of the Milky Way galaxy, it’s likely something that had to be done. It was a big choice with big galaxy-impacting results, and it’s likely partially why Andromeda was made before Mass Effect 4 proper. Yet, in doing so, there are two major impacts this ending will indubitably have on the next game.
New Mass Effect Game Destroys All Synthetic Life
The Destroy Ending eliminates all synthetic life in Mass Effect, bringing the reaper’s assault on the Milky Way galaxy to an end. This isn’t done without sacrifice, however, as the Geth are all destroyed as a result too. The Geth are one of the most interesting “aliens” in the game, and particularly, there’s Legion, a beloved Mass Effect companion. He’s almost certainly gone.
The Geth went from being used by the Reapers to fighting a civil war among themselves to a major plot point in Mass Effect about what to do for Geth Heretics and the Reaper Virus. The big decision, of course, is how to broker peace between Geth and Quarians. Even if players did that, that choice doesn’t seem to matter anymore beyond how they are perceived after destruction.
New Mass Effect Game Gives Shepard An Out
Unlike the Control or Synthesis endings, Shepard can live through the Destroy Ending. There are a ton of hints at this, such as his body seemingly breathing and a love interest hesitating to put Shepard on a wall of casualties. This opens the door for Shepard’s return in the new game, and fans are split on that. On the one hand, it’s Shepard and having Mark Meer/Jennifer Hale return in Mass Effect would be awesome. On the other hand, it feels like it minimizes their sacrifice and actions to save the galaxy from the Reapers.
How the Destroy Ending Could Actually Benefit These Aspects in the New Mass Effect Game
These two downfalls could go any number of ways, but perhaps these two downfalls could be turned into stronger narrative points. For example, the destruction of the Reapers and the Mass Effect relays means a lot of civilizations are cut off. However, that Reaper tech could play a major role and show how the Milky Way recovers, perhaps even faster than what many expect. It could even, in theory, explain how the new Mass Effect features the Milky Way and Andromeda.
Utilizing Reaper tech and perhaps having a good relationship with the Quarians could lead to some restoration of the Geth. Bringing them back could result in something completely different, or it could be a big debate to use Reaper tech to recreate the Geth. The latter would be preferable, so that while they are gone, they are not forgotten.
Shepard, on the other hand, could play a plot point in many thinking they could be alive. However, Shepard shouldn’t be the new Mass Effect protagonist, a major part of the game, or even really shown—arguably. Many would welcome their return, but thinking of them as a ghost afterward makes it more realistic without simply being dead or alive, important or not. Not to mention, but Ryder couldn't even live u to Shepard. No protagonist could, and bringing them back as a side character would undermine the new character. Playing as them would remove this problem, but it creates that problem, again, of undermining their sacrifice.
Either way, it’s still far away. The results of the Destroy Ending in the new Mass Effect game remain to be seen, but hopefully, it’s not as cut and dry as “goodbye, Geth” and “welcome back, Shepard.”
A New Mass Effect game is in development.