Following the cancellation of Mass Effect 5, purportedly called Mass Effect Universe, new gameplay details have emerged, including handcrafted missions with Hitman-style freedom, the ability to hack the environment, and brutal close-range executions. YouTube content creator Dantics revealed the details, which have been verified by IGN. A development source also confirmed that BioWare had every major alien race working in the build. Dantics described the game as "looking incredible" and said it was "made for us, the fans."
The game was set over 600 years after the Reaper War, with a customizable agent who had experimental technology implanted, allowing for hacking and manipulation of the environment. The galaxy was divided into three major factions, with humanity, the Krogans, and others allied together. The Council races formed their own alliance, while the Geth emerged as a third superpower. Liara would return as a powerful Asari Matriarch, and romance options would be available without being sanitized.