Award-winning science fiction author Derek Künsken has revealed that he was working on the story for the then-in-development Mass Effect 5. Künsken, who has won accolades such as the Asimov Reader's Award and the Aurora Award, shared this information following the news that BioWare is being shuttered.
Künsken detailed his involvement on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "On and off for the last five years, as a contract writer, and as a senior writer on staff, I've been hoping to be allowed to say where I worked. Today I finally got the green light: I've been working on the next Mass Effect." He further elaborated that while the green light came due to BioWare's closure, the work done on the project was "really cool."
He expressed hope for more clarity in the coming weeks regarding what he can share about his contributions. Künsken also praised his colleagues at BioWare, describing them as "decent human being[s], an expert in their field, and was ambitiously imaginative about what a future experience of Bioware could be." He cited working with Parrish Ley and Mary DeMarle as career highlights.
This revelation comes amidst broader discussion about BioWare's struggles and EA's management of the studio. While the specific narrative direction of the canceled Mass Effect 5 remains unknown, Künsken's involvement suggests a significant effort was being made to craft its story. The author emphasized the complex nature of game development, where a writer's vision can be impacted by numerous factors during production, acknowledging that even strong authors can face challenges in bringing their ideas to fruition within a large studio environment.