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Next Mass Effect Story Helmed By Halo 4 Lead Writer Chris Schlerf
As part of its N7 Day celebration, BioWare is introducing some of the names behind the next entry in the franchise. Here are the people who are writing, directing, and producing the fourth entry in the popular series.
Among the names is creative director Mac Walters, who sheds some light on how players will begin their new journey. “With Shepard, you arrived on the scene as a hero, and you were called forward from there,” Walters says. “For the next Mass Effect, however, we’ve been looking at more of a hero’s journey: how you become a legend and what it takes to get there.”
Walters says that one of his team’s challenges is creating a new hero that can stand alongside Shepard’s legacy. The writing team is being led by Chris Schlerf, who was the lead writer on Halo 4 before joining BioWare to work on Mass Effect.
BioWare has also announced that Mike Gamble, a veteran of the franchise, will be serving as producer. He’s joined by fellow producer Fabrice Condominas, who worked on the multiplayer component of Mass Effect 3 and led the team working on the Omega DLC.
Art direction will be led by Joel MacMillan, who joined BioWare to work on Jade Empire in 2004. BioWare has brought on Ian Frazier, who worked on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Dawn of War: Soulstorm, as design lead. Finally, Chris Wynn is serving as senior development director. He joined the studio in 2013 after working on other triple-A titles, including entries in the Gears of War series.
For more on the team behind the next Mass Effect title, head over to BioWare’s website.
[Source: BioWare]
Our Take
BioWare has a healthy mix of franchise veterans and fresh faces. The studio has no doubt learned a great deal from the strengths and failings of past entries, not to mention what the Dragon Age: Inquisition team has been up to. Returning to the Mass Effect universe will put the leadership under intense scrutiny, especially after the blowback related to the ending of Mass Effect 3.
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