Amazon has confirmed that a TV series based on the Mass Effect game franchise is in development.
It's to be written by Daniel Casey, who also penned Fast & Furious 9.
Amazon Prime Video is on a role when it comes to video games adaptations. Not only has it broken viewing records with Fallout, gained a cult following for Like a Dragon, and has Tomb Raider to come, it has now been confirmed that a TV series based on the hugely popular sci-fi RPG epic, Mass Effect, is in the works.
Amazon has reportedly hired the writer of Fast & Furious 9, Daniel Casey, to pen the show for its streaming service. As Variety reveals, he'll also act as executive producer alongside Ari Arad and EA / Bioware stalwart, Michael Gamble – who is also overseeing the next RPG chapter.
Little else is known about the new show as yet, but Amazon is said to have been in negotiations to sign the license since 2021.
In many ways it is the perfect game franchise to turn into a TV or film series. After its extraordinary work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it opted to repeat the formula but in its own sci-fi universe. By doing so, it created one of the most detailed and rich settings in gaming – one that is ripe for adaptation to the small screen.
The universe, characters, races and worlds it established will make for fascinating viewing, whether Casey chooses to adapt the games' story and centre on Shepherd as the lead, or if he decides to go in another direction and tell a whole new tale.
I personally hope he chooses the latter – it has worked well for Fallout and is more interesting for fans of the games and newcomers alike. The Last of Us is superb, for sure, but knowing the outcome already dampens its appeal a touch.
Whatever happens, it could finally cement Amazon as the new king of sci-fi, as it seeks to snatch the crown from Apple TV+.
