Mass Effect TV Show To Undergo Rewrites To Help The Show Appeal To “Non-Gamers”

A new report suggests that the Mass Effect TV show is on the verge of being ordered, but Amazon has requested rewrites so the series can appeal to “non-gamers”.

Anxiety-inducing news for Mass Effect fans out there, as a new report has revealed the gaming IP is on the cusp of a series order, but Amazon TV’s boss has requested rewrites so that the series can appeal to “non-gamers”.

The news comes from The Ankler, which reported that Amazon TV boss Peter Friedlander has stepped in to read scripts for upcoming projects, so he can make firm decisions on the streamer’s in-development projects.

If there is some good news here, it’s that the Mass Effect TV series seems pretty close to becoming a likelihood. Which, as a Mass Effect fan, any update on the IP is a good update if you ask me.

Of course, the request to make the series appeal more to “non-gamers” is a bit of a headscratcher. The Mass Effect franchise has a fairly broad appeal and is hardly tied down by its gaming roots. If anything, the series naturally lends itself better to a TV format, as its missions and character arcs are paced like episodes of a TV series.

Unfortunately, at this stage, it’s impossible to know the context behind the note. According to developer BioWare, the upcoming TV series will be set after the original Mass Effect games, and will sit somewhere in line with the next game (which is currently undisclosed at this point).

“The writers’ room is going strong, and we’ve got a lot figured out about how it fits within the Mass Effect canon, and where it sits in respect to the new game,” wrote Mass Effect boss Mike Gamble in a blog post. “The show will explore a brand-new story within the universe’s timeline, and will be set after the original trilogy. It won’t be a retread of Commander Shepard’s story – because after all … that’s YOUR story, isn’t it?”

If I were a guessing man, my assumption may be that Amazon is requesting the rewrites so the series can be more of a standalone experience, without having played the trilogy. The most recent season of Fallout might be a good comparison, as its first season remained mostly absent from obvious ties to the video games.

It wasn’t until the most recent season that more of those easter eggs and plot points finally tied in to the main story of the show, although it still tried its best to maintain a broad appeal without alienating audiences.

With an upcoming God of War adaptation on the horizon, here’s hoping that these rewrites end up being to the series benefit and deliver the Mass Effect TV series we all know the IP deserves.