BioWare store listing implying Shepard returns in Mass Effect 5 was "a mistake"
The listing was written by folks unfamiliar with the game.
Looks like a listing for a Mass Effect N7 day lithograph detailing the storyline for Mass Effect 5 was incorrect, leading many to believe Commander Shepard would return in the game.
In the listing, a synopsis for the still-unnamed next Mass Effect read: "The show goes on... Shepard's final quest may have ended the threat of the Reapers but at great cost including Earth itself. While Shepard and the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what's next.
According to project director Michael Gamble, the listing on the BioWare Gear Store, which has since been changed, was written by people who run the store and who "aren't familiar with the game."
So, this seems to end the hope for some that Shepard makes a return, but you never know. Only BioWare knows for sure, but the store product in question is an image shown last November, and it's thought the game takes place quite a few years into the future meaning that Shepard may have long since joined the choir invisible.
Next to nothing is known about Mass Effect 5, and while BioWare hasn't said much since it was announced as in the works back in November 2020, the studio said at the time it is “looking forward” to sharing information on it in the future.
Recently, BioWare reiterated the next game in the series is in the early development stage, and it's going to "be a while" before we can talk about it in more" before it can talk about the game in more detail.