Mass Effect director’s new studio is building “an all-new science-fiction universe”

In 2020, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson left the studio to form his own. Humanoid Studios was announced in summer 2021, and now we know what it’s working on. Hudson directed the original Mass Effect trilogy, so the setting of Humanoid’s new IP shouldn’t be surprising.

Humanoid’s updated website gives us a tease of that IP. “Our current project is a multi-platform triple-A game, focusing on character-driven narrative in an all-new science-fiction universe,” it reads. They say write what you know, and Hudson’s pedigree is certainly anchored in science fiction. When the studio was announced, multiple senior roles were open. Humanoid is still hiring for several positions in the art, programming, and writing departments.

Some concept art in the background of the website gives us small teasers of what we can expect from the upcoming IP. The banner image shows an astronaut standing before a massive alien skull, while the final piece of art shows a pair of astronauts at a landing site. Images between those show a space cafe above a gray planet and some sort of aqueduct connected to a mountain. None of the art gives away what Humanoid is making, but it sure is pretty.

As for Mass Effect, BioWare’s current general manager Gary McKay promised an “amazing future” for the franchise. McKay’s blog post teased that there were at least five hidden things in 2021’s N7 Day artwork, which featured a Geth-like crater.