Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, who voice the male and female versions of Commander Shepard, have said they want to return for BioWare’s next game in the Mass Effect series. In a recent interview with Fall Damage, both actors expressed a strong connection to the character that shaped a generation of RPG storytelling. However, they noted that the studio has not officially reached out to them about the project.
Hale, who voiced female Shepard, took an active role in the discussion. She urged fans to contact “the powers that be” at BioWare to support the character’s return. Meer echoed her feelings, joking that he would return “under any circumstances.” While the original leads’ enthusiasm is a good sign for the community, their lack of involvement suggests that the project is either in its early planning stages or that the story may be moving away from the Shepard era completely.
Rumors about the next Mass Effect have circulated since the 2020 teaser trailer, which showed Liara T’Soni finding a piece of N7 armor in a frozen landscape. This suggested a possible link to the original trilogy’s “Destruction” ending, where hints of Shepard’s survival appeared in a short post-credits scene. However, with BioWare keeping quiet and the game likely years away from release, it’s unclear if Shepard will be the main character, a supporting mentor, or just a historical figure in the new story.
The development of the next game comes at a pivotal time for BioWare. Despite recent restructuring and notable layoffs that included the departure of several longtime staff members, a dedicated group of franchise veterans, including original art director Derek Watts, is currently leading the project. For a series that has struggled to find its direction since the controversial launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the possible return of Hale and Meer signals a connection to the franchise’s peak that many longtime fans hope to see again.
