Mass Effect 3’s original ending featured a different outcome for the galaxy

According to Mass Effect scribe Drew Karpyshyn, BioWare’s initial plans for the Mass Effect 3 ending proposed a different outcome for the galactic community.

The discourse surrounding Mass Effect 3’s conclusion has run the gamut since BioWare and EA launched the title more than a decade ago.

Some players were incredibly upset their decisions throughout the series seemed to carry little weight. Others expressed nothing short of indifference.

But the presumed destruction of the Milkyway Galaxy following the Reaper invasion left everyone reeling, pondering which direction the spacefaring brand would head next.

Had things ended as initially intended, a trip to the Andromeda galaxy may not have come to fruition.

The original Mass Effect 3 ending divided the galaxy

Former Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn recently participated in a Reddit AMA, wherein he fielded questions about BioWare’s beloved space opera.

When asked how he would’ve wrapped up the Mass Effect story, Karpyshyn recalled the “rough ideas” the team devised. One such concept “involved luring the Reapers through the Mass Relays, then detonating the entire network to wipe them out…”

The writer added that “destroying/damaging the relays” would’ve separated every galactic community from its counterparts.

Some of the issues that arose from this option revolved around what “[BioWare] would do in the next series of games.”

Karpyshyn’s words suggest the Milkyway and its myriad alien species may have survived the Reaper attack if players experienced the original Mass Effect 3 ending.

It’s possible the next mainline entry will still explore the fate of the galaxy in some capacity, though. This much seems evident in the Mass Effect trailer showcased during the 2020 Game Awards, which briefly teased the return of fan-favorite character Liara T’Soni.

To the dismay of many a fan, further details about the new title have yet to surface.