The beloved 'Mass Effect' series is reportedly 'on ice' in wake of the latest entry's whiff

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The "Mass Effect" series is, in many ways, the "Star Wars" of video games. It's a beloved franchise that pits good against evil, in varying shades of gray, all in the confines of infinite space.

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It's got space ships, and space travel, and space aliens. It's got a "one-of-a-kind" hero, played by you, whose hope all life in the galaxy rests on.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Bioware / EA

There's even an "original trilogy" that fans are especially fond of. But it's the newest game in the series, "Mass Effect: Andromeda," that's been divisive.

The game launched for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC back in March. It was not met with universal praise:

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While a 70 is still a perfectly reasonable score, it's a far cry from the high 80s and 90s of previous games in the franchise. "Andromeda" isn't a disaster by any means, but it's a comparative disaster for fans - the "Phantom Menace" of the franchise, if you will (though that's probably a bit strong).

In light of the "Andromeda" misstep, the game's publisher EA has reportedly, "put 'Mass Effect' on hiatus." That's according to a report from Kotaku, which cites "four sources close to the company."

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Bioware / EA

To be clear, that doesn't mean the "Mass Effect" series is being killed - just put on pause.

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Often in game development, following the release of a successful game, the development team is immediately tasked with a follow-up. Maybe the team works on extra story content, like new missions; maybe the team works on new multiplayer stuff. Maybe the team gets to work on the early stages of a full-on sequel!

In the case of "Mass Effect: Andromeda," it appears that BioWare Montreal - the team in charge of "Andromeda" - is being downscaled. EA confirmed as much in the same Kotaku report: "With our BioWare and Motive teams sharing studio space in Montreal, we have BioWare team members joining Motive projects that are underway," EA said.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

BioWare / EA

Pause.

It's not clear what this means for the future of the "Mass Effect" series, but it's hard to imagine EA straight up moth-balling the ridiculously popular franchise. What's most likely is EA spends a few years re-thinking the series, taking a critical look at the missteps in "Andromeda," and then hopefully gives it new life in the not-so-distant future.

For now, though, it appears to be "on ice."

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