Mass Effect 5 would benefit from "taking lessons from Baldur's Gate 3" and being more of a "Bethesda-style game," Skyrim lead says

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Mass Effect 5 would benefit from "taking lessons from Baldur's Gate 3" and being more of a "Bethesda-style game," Skyrim lead says News By Kaan Serin published 31 January 2026

Bruce Nesmith chimes in on what he would like from the next BioWare RPG

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Skyrim's lead designer and former Bethesda veteran Bruce Nesmith has chimed in on what he wants to see from Mass Effect 5 (or whatever name the next Mass Effect game ends up with) and - surprise, surprise - he thinks BioWare could do well by ripping a few pages out of the Bethesda playbook.

"I would hope that they would try to just take their lore and make a modern game of it," Nesmith says in an interview with Press Box PR. "One of the knocks on Mass Effect that I would have is that they always felt like they were a generation behind. I know, they had very cool characters, they had great stories, but the gameplay always felt dusty and old. It just wasn’t there." Nesmith goes on to say that if BioWare could marry the studio's strengths with "more modern" sensibilities, then it could potentially have a "fantastic game" on its hands.

"I think taking lessons from Baldur's Gate 3 would fit Mass Effect really well," Nesmith continues before also naming dropping his own former workplace. "But I think they should probably try to make a more Bethesda-style game, to be honest."

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Of course, Nesmith isn't implying that BioWare should fully go down the first-person sandbox route with Mass Effect 5. He just reckons fans of the series "are dying for an open world science fiction game that has that kind of flavor to it" and is "content heavy."

"Mass Effect players would be going nuts for that. But I’m a former Bethesda guy so I'm probably going to say that about a lot of things." Nothing wrong with having pride in some classics, I say.

Last time we heard from the next Mass Effect, BioWare was seemingly ramping up development by hiring a production director for the project.

OG Mass Effect Shephard actors would be there "with bells on" if BioWare brought them back for Mass Effect 5

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Kaan SerinFreelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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Logout Read more Bethesda design director wants a Fallout 5 you could play for 600 hours because "that's the kind of games we make"    Mass Effect 5 might release "a long time" after The Veilguard as BioWare's become a "one project studio," veteran says    Fallout: London lead thinks Bethesda has "probably gone one game too far" with Elder Scrolls and Fallout    Ex-Skyrim artist hopes Elder Scrolls 6 has "some new ideas" that avoid the franchise burnout seen in Assassin's Creed    N7 Day 2025 could be hinting that Mass Effect 5 will make a specific Mass Effect 3 ending canon, but I can't tell which one    Mass Effect 5 starts hiring for a new lead developer as BioWare remains tight-lipped about its next RPG    Latest in Mass Effect Mass Effect 5 starts hiring for a new lead developer as BioWare remains tight-lipped about its next RPG    Mass Effect 5 might release "a long time" after The Veilguard as BioWare's become a "one project studio," veteran says    The Mass Effect 3 scene with Garrus, you know the one, made Shepard actor Jennifer Hale "break"    Jennifer Hale has "no idea" if Shepard will return in Mass Effect 5, but if you ask nicely, maybe BioWare will listen    OG Mass Effect Shephard actors would be there "with bells on" if BioWare brought them back for Mass Effect 5    N7 Day 2025 could be hinting that Mass Effect 5 will make a specific Mass Effect 3 ending canon, but I can't tell which one    Latest in News Sam Raimi would be open to making a Spider-Man sequel, after all    Skyrim lead thinks Mass Effect 5 would benefit from looking to Baldur's Gate 3 or being more of a "Bethesda-style game"    Longlegs and Stranger Things stars' horror anthology movie gets creepy first trailer    Vin Diesel reveals the title of final Fast and Furious film and a release date    Upcoming Rambo origin movie starring Street Fighter actor will begin filming this week    Ex-Skyrim lead guesses The Elder Scrolls 6's story "will leave it undefined or leave it as neither side really won"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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