Confirming what some had suspected ever since BioWare revealed that the current Mass Effect series as we know it would conclude as a trilogy, series producer Michael Gamble dropped the bomb on PC Gamer today that Commander Shepard, regardless of whatever gender version of that character you happen to prefer playing as, will no longer be the star of the show following Mass Effect 3.

With Mass Effect 3, erm, effectively wrapping up the Shepard storyline, the question then turns to what the future may hold for the franchise in general. According to Dr. Ray Muzyka, the future is still entirely bright for the series.

We have ambitious plans to continue this franchise going forward. Mass Effect 3 is simultaneously a couple of different things: a thrilling and epic conclusion to the trilogy as we promised our fans we'd provide for Commander Shepard, but it's also a brand new beginning - it's an entry point for new fans.

While fans of the franchise are undoubtedly pleased to hear that Mass Effect will live on, sans Shepard, it's still a bittersweet piece of news for those who grew accustomed to their particular DudeShep and/or FemShep. Plus, after all the fervor over how FemShep's new hair style would affect gender stereotyping in video games, today's news that the world chose redheaded FemShep to represent female empowerment or something seems just a little less impactful than it would have otherwise. Which is to say, less impactful than already not impactful at all, because Jesus Christ people, it's a goddamned default hairstyle for an editable character in a role-playing game. There are Teen Choice Award voting categories with greater societal meaning than this nonsense.

Oh well, at least this woman will be happy, I guess?

Confirming what some had suspected ever since BioWare revealed that the current Mass Effect series as we know it would conclude as a trilogy, series producer Michael Gamble dropped the bomb on PC Gamer today that Commander Shepard, regardless of whatever gender version of that character you happen to prefer playing as, will no longer be the star of the show following Mass Effect 3.

With Mass Effect 3, erm, effectively wrapping up the Shepard storyline, the question then turns to what the future may hold for the franchise in general. According to Dr. Ray Muzyka, the future is still entirely bright for the series.

We have ambitious plans to continue this franchise going forward. Mass Effect 3 is simultaneously a couple of different things: a thrilling and epic conclusion to the trilogy as we promised our fans we'd provide for Commander Shepard, but it's also a brand new beginning - it's an entry point for new fans.

While fans of the franchise are undoubtedly pleased to hear that Mass Effect will live on, sans Shepard, it's still a bittersweet piece of news for those who grew accustomed to their particular DudeShep and/or FemShep. Plus, after all the fervor over how FemShep's new hair style would affect gender stereotyping in video games, today's news that the world chose redheaded FemShep to represent female empowerment or something seems just a little less impactful than it would have otherwise. Which is to say, less impactful than already not impactful at all, because Jesus Christ people, it's a goddamned default hairstyle for an editable character in a role-playing game. There are Teen Choice Award voting categories with greater societal meaning than this nonsense.

Oh well, at least this woman will be happy, I guess?

OMG SPOILERS jeez....

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That's great news because I rather have it as a trilogy so they can just expand the third game with a ton of DLC.

No matter what they say ... that is NOT the real FemShep!

Shepard isn't flexible enough, so Garrus reaps Shepard to death.

"There are Teen Choice Award voting categories with greater societal meaning than this nonsense." *claps* well put sir

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite female-empowering hairstyle on the Citadel.

I'm ready for a Thane centric ME4!

Garrus is the new Shepard.

@2HeadedNinja said:

No matter what they say ... that is NOT the real FemShep!

But it is.

@solh0und said:

That's great news because I rather have it as a trilogy so they can just expand the third game with a ton of DLC.

I dunno, how much DLC is going to be possible?

"Congrats for defeating the reapers and once again saving the universe Shepard, but there are some mercs that you should take down" "FUCK that!, I'm going to sleep!"

If the game is versatile enough maybe they can have 3 be the launching and testing ground for new 'games' Weird idea but i'd love to see that or an epilouge of sorts

@2HeadedNinja said:

No matter what they say ... that is NOT the real FemShep!

Jesus Christ, as if the whiners going on about how LadyShep is the "true" Shepard wasn't bad enough, now we have people saying that Bioware's LadyShep isn't the "true" LadyShep? The fuck is wrong with you people.

Wasn't default female Shepard's hair color always red?

So, in the Mass Effect universe humans have all fucked each other to the point where all of humanity sort of looks the same. Everyone is a slightly brown color. It's safe to assume that this FemShep comes from a long line of horribly racist White supremacists who have chosen to inbreed with each other in order to retain their pale skin.

Thanks, White gamers. A racist in-breeder is now the savior of the universe.

mass effect 4, starring conrad verner 

I suppose it's for the best really, I'd rather have a cool trilogy of Shep games and then move on within the universe rather than drag Shep through more and more adventures until everything seems small and stupid.

Half an article on a hairstyle? I think that's a record.

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

No more Mark Vanderloo as Shepard? Not to be dramatic, but that might kill the entire series for me.

Seeing how this series is now all about SICK MELEE TAKEDOWNS, HUGE EXPLOSIONS and barbiedolls in armor, i'd hate to see what they are creating as their next protagonist.

Of course Shepard isn't going to be in more games. She is going to die, it is the only way I can see it going down.

I wanto to kiss goodbye the new female Shepard

mass effect 4, starring conrad verner 

@Galiant said:

@phrosnite

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

My fiancée is a redhead. So, you know, fuck you right back. All my video game female characters are lovely redheads.

You like playing as your wife? That's a little creepy, dude.

There is a female Shepard? -troll face-

@damswedon: Knowing Bioware, Shepard will probably interface with the leader reaper and become a reaper himself/herself and then order all the other reapers to leave earth alone.

This is good news. There's nothing worse than dragging something out for the sake of an easy buck. Ever since it was floated on some Bombcast way back, I've been utterly enamored with the idea of a detective game set on the Citadel. Whatever they choose, I hope they go more intimate and smaller cause really, how do you top "sentient, galaxy eating starships"?

They can put a poster of whatever Shepard they want, but Mass Effect is about my Shepard. Not poster Shepard.

This is great news. I'm glad they aren't going to drag Shepard out just to use him as the poster boy of mass effect. Can't wait to see what the future holds for the franchise.

@Toms115 said:

mass effect 4, starring conrad verner

We demand it!

@Galiant said:

@phrosnite

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

My fiancée is a redhead. So, you know, fuck you right back. All my video game female characters are lovely redheads.

You like playing as your wife? That's a little creepy, dude.

"it's a default hairstyle for an editable character in a role-playing game. There are Teen Choice Award voting categories with greater societal meaning than this nonsense." 
 
It's also the version that is going to be used in all of the advertising, and featured on the collectors edition of the game.  Way to miss the point.

Nice to hear. I'm all for both this story ending and the universe continuing. 

@Toms115 said:

mass effect 4, starring conrad verner

I'd play that!

@SpaceInsomniac: Oh, I'm aware of that point. It's still meaningless. While I applaud the fact that BioWare is including the female version of Shepard on the cover of the collector's edition and in the ads, what hair color/style she has is a completely meaningless distinction. FemShep getting promoted is a good thing regardless of whether she's blonde, redhead, black-haired or Sinead O'Connor. It's. A. HAIRCUT.

@iAmJohn

@Galiant said:

@phrosnite

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

My fiancée is a redhead. So, you know, fuck you right back. All my video game female characters are lovely redheads.

You like playing as your wife? That's a little creepy, dude.

There's a clear distinction between my future wife and the video game characters I play as. One is real and my fiancée, the other is a video game character with red hair. I just like red hair because I love my fiancée. Don't judge.

@Galiant said:

@iAmJohn

@Galiant said:

@phrosnite

The first thing I"m gonna do when I get ME3 is to change her hair - short and black. F you all ginger junkies!

My fiancée is a redhead. So, you know, fuck you right back. All my video game female characters are lovely redheads.

You like playing as your wife? That's a little creepy, dude.

There's a clear distinction between my future wife and the video game characters I play as. One is real and my fiancée, the other is a video game character with red hair. I just like red hair because I love my fiancée. Don't judge.

I was joking.

I don't care what character appears on the cover of the box, and in the trailers which I'm not going to watch. I'm just going to import my female Shepard that I've been playing since Mass Effect 1. who has black hair, incidentally.

I'm glad that they're at least kind of sort of letting it end.

Funny, I make any char I play redhead too, so woo on that.

Another quality Alex article. Seriously. I lurrrve you.

Well of course the follow up you play as Wrex in a hardboiled detective game where you search for Shepard who was lost into the vastness of space after [censored]. You have a dedicated "Shepard" button and if your nearby an NPC he will say it in the form of a question.

Its kind of like that button in Luigi's Mansion which had Luigi shakily vocalize "Maaarriooo" except way better.

I'm just going to pretend that none of this is happening.

Jesus that PC Gamer link was maddening. Who honestly cares that much about something so trivial

God, I love Alex Navarro.

Redheads are hot, so this is okay.

And that article linked at the end is hilarious. Just picture the monstrosity that hates blonds so much.

I think this was expected by most people anyway, infact im sure it was mentioned half a dozen times when they released ME2. I will of course be sad to see the current crew go, but i dont want to see the guys ive grown so fond of be milked until they are themselves husks. Maybe they can have further adventures later, or maybe we will see some of them cameo or co-star later, im totally fine with a fresh new crew for the next game much as im fine with the roster change in the new Gears trilogy.

@The_Nubster said:

They can put a poster of whatever Shepard they want, but Mass Effect is about my Shepard. Not poster Shepard.