With Mass Effect 5 cancelled, the first new Mass Effect item to appear since is a trio of vinyl figures. Youtooz is taking pre-orders for Joker, Mordin and Liara at $29.99 apiece.
Fans were hoping for a sequel, and this isn’t one. Collectors who still want to put money into the series do get an actual product, and it comes with an actual cutoff date.
A sad emoji in the teaser
Youtooz first teased the three figures on its official X account. The post showed nothing but the characters’ silhouettes, which fans can pick out easily, set against a red and blue backdrop. Its caption, ” i wish i had more time to study all of this… “, closed with a sad emoji, probably a nod to BioWare’s closure.
Pre-orders are open on the official Youtooz website. When this was written, 26 days remained before the figures come off sale. They will presumably be sold again after their official launch. The earlier Youtooz Mass Effect figures are still on the site at $29.99, apart from Legion and Wrex.
Shepard is still missing
These three make up the second wave. Tali, Wrex, Garrus and Legion came in the first, which brings the squad to seven figures. Commander Shepard isn’t among them. Youtooz has now passed over the character in two waves, which is strange for a series built around Shepard.
Anyone who has seen a Funko Pop will know the basic proportions: compact bodies with heads a little too big for them. Youtooz figures hold on to more of each character’s defining look than Funko Pops do, so Mordin is still clearly Mordin.
The Mass Effect projects still going
Other Mass Effect work is still moving forward too. The TV series has not been cancelled and is still set to be made for a full release later on. EA’s agreements with other merchandise companies are also going ahead.
Mass Effect 5 leaves a gap none of this fills. BioWare’s RPGs set the bar for the genre and shaped a generation of developers and games. Fans are taking the cancellation hard.
Many of them have started campaigning to keep BioWare and Mass Effect from being shut down permanently, though the campaign’s chances look slim. Joker, Mordin and Liara cost $29.99 each, and pre-orders close in 26 days.