The Untold Stories: 6 Epic BioWare Games That Never Saw the Light of Day

Highlights

BioWare has a history of starting ambitious projects that ultimately never see the light of day, such as sequels to Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic.

Shadow Realms, a unique action role-playing game developed by BioWare, faced cancellation as the studio directed their attention towards other projects such as Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda.

BioWare made the decision to halt development on Anthem Next, the revitalization of their highly anticipated game Anthem, in order to prioritize their well-established franchises like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. The outcome of this choice remains uncertain.

Numerous exceptional video game companies have created enduring franchises that continue to captivate fans. These companies consistently generate fresh excitement among gamers by unveiling their latest development projects.

Among these companies, BioWare stands as one of the largest and most influential in the world. Renowned for franchises like Dragon’s Age, Baldur’s Gate, and Mass Effect, BioWare has proven its ability to craft titles that stand the test of time. However, BioWare also has a collection of unfinished projects that, unfortunately, will never see the light of day. Although it is regrettable that gamers will not experience these fully realized games, the untapped potential within them remains awe-inspiring to consider.

6 Revolver / Jade Empire 2

BioWare's Jade Empire, a remarkable RPG steeped in Chinese Mythology, has regrettably never received a sequel since its release in 2005. However, an attempt was made to develop a sequel at one point, which faced numerous challenges, including the decision to switch to Mass Effect's Unreal Engine during the development phase.

As a result of this shift, the original plan of setting the sequel a few decades after the events of the first game was abandoned in favor of a modern-day backdrop within the Jade Empire universe. Over time, this concept transformed into a separate project called Revolver, which shared a similar style but had little connection to the original Jade Empire game. Unfortunately, after an extensive and expensive development process, the project was ultimately abandoned.

5 Shadow Realms

Originally scheduled for release in 2015, Shadow Realms was a unique action RPG that BioWare ultimately had to abandon its development. The game revolved around humans possessing magical abilities who would traverse between Earth and the parallel world of Embra. Their objective was to engage in battles against the Shadow Legions in an effort to safeguard humanity.

Shadow Realms boasted potential to become a successful new venture and potentially a franchise for BioWare. It featured various traditional RPG elements, including diverse character classes, extensive customization options, and an episodic release structure. The game pitted a team of four players against a sole player assuming the role of the Shadowlord. While some of its concepts were innovative, BioWare, burdened with preparing Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda, had to cancel the development of Shadow Realms. Nevertheless, there remains speculation that it could potentially make a comeback in the future.

4 Knights Of The Old Republic 3

BioWare's Star Wars RPG franchise, which had seen success with its first two entries, has yet to release a third installment. The cancellation of the planned threequel, as elaborated in a LucasArts history reference book, was attributed to the company's financial difficulties. While developers had already outlined numerous ideas and concepts for the threequel, the project was abandoned before significant progress was made. The proposed storyline would have followed a character named Naresha as she embarked on a mission to confront ancient Sith Lords more terrifying than any previously encountered. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that this once-promising conclusion to the franchise will ever be realized.

3 Mass Effect Team Assault

Despite being a highly revered series in the gaming industry, BioWare's Mass Effect franchise had one game that never saw the light of day. Known as Mass Effect: Team Assault, this online competitive multiplayer game was intended to be a part of the Mass Effect universe following the success of Mass Effect 2. Although screenshots of the gameplay were released, development ceased after four months, leading the team to pursue a different direction. Luckily, many elements from Team Assault were incorporated into the multiplayer mode of Mass Effect 3, ensuring that both BioWare and Mass Effect fans didn't miss out on much when this particular entry was canceled.

2 Anthem Next / Anthem 2.0

BioWare had high hopes for Anthem but unfortunately, it never reached its full potential. In 2021, the team responsible for rebooting the game, known as Anthem Next, announced its discontinuation. Various challenges, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to this decision. However, the main reason BioWare abandoned the project was their shift in focus towards their most successful franchises, such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect. They believed these franchises offered more reliable opportunities for growth, leading to the cancellation of Anthem Next. The verdict on whether this was the correct choice remains uncertain today.

1 Baldur’s Gate 3: The Black Hound

With the release finally happening, fans no longer need to dwell on the cancellation of the initial attempt at Baldur's Gate 3. Development for The Black Hound began in 2002, although the exact duration is unknown. However, when the enhanced edition of the original Baldur's Gate was announced in 2012, the franchise team revealed their plan to create Baldur's Gate 3 while disregarding The Black Hound concepts.

The Black Hound was intended to be a sinister character symbolizing guilt and the player's malevolent decisions, appearing at various points in the game. Limited information is available about the storyline, other than players pursuing May Farrow, an evil cleric who had slain a Black Hound. The game would have prominently featured the Archenrider faction and the Church of Lathander. Thankfully, an excellent version of this game was eventually released to remarkable success.