BioWare senior development director Chris Wynn is calling on fans to remain "open-minded" about a "Mass Effect" game that no longer features Commander Shepard.
Wynn made the comments recently in response to criticism from a fan on Twitter who indicated that the upcoming game in the franchise, "Mass Effect Andromeda," would be an "embarrassment" without its iconic leading man present, Gamespot reported.
Wynn responded to the fan by indicating that the upcoming game could still be good even without Shepard.
Commander Shepard had become firmly entrenched into "Mass Effect" lore after being cast as the protagonist for the franchise's successful trilogy, although it appears that the game's developers are now content to move in a different direction.
In previous entries in the "Mass Effect" franchise, Shepard was a fully customizable character, right down to gender and appearance, according to Game Rant. Players also had full control over the things Shepard said and did inside those games.
BioWare initially announced the decision to move past Shepard in October 2012, and as of now at least, there appears to be little chance that the commander or any other character from the trilogy may also show up in "Mass Effect Andromeda."
A probable reason for why Shepard will not be in "Mass Effect Andromeda" is that the game is expected to take place in a time period that is far removed from the original trilogy.
Wynn has already indicated in the past that continuing to include Shepard in the upcoming game would no longer make sense from a storyline standpoint, and that may have a lot to do with the difference in time periods.
Still, there could be references made to Commander Shepard made in the upcoming game, considering his role in the franchise.
More details about "Mass Effect Andromeda" could also be revealed on Nov. 7, otherwise known as N7 Day or "Mass Effect" holiday.
"Mass Effect Andromeda" is expected to be released during fall 2016.
