Mass Effect: Annihilation is a tie-in novel that will reveal the fate of the Quarians and Elcor

Mass Effect Andromeda was so tremendously dull -- just read John’s Andromeda review -- that it appears to have killed off a whole franchise (or at least put it in a coma). While I absolutely don’t think it earned a sequel, it is a shame that there are so many story threads left hanging. Like what the hell happened to all the other aliens from the Milky Way? Well, we may not be finding out in a game, but Mass Effect: Annihilation, a spin-off novel, will fill in some gaps when it appears in June next year.

Half of the Milky Way races were left out of Andromeda, and we never really learned what happened to them. This was particularly tragic because the list of species included the wonderful Elcor, who are objectively the best race in the universe. Along with the Quarians, Batarians and Drell, their story will be told in Annihilation, penned by Hugo Award winner, Catherynne M. Valente.

The official tie-in charts journey of the Keelah Si’yah, a ship containing all of these species. 20,000 souls, hurtling towards an unknown galaxy. It would have made for an interesting game, no?

“A pathogen is discovered aboard the ark after many drell are found dead in their cryo pods,” reads the book’s synopsis. “As the pathogen jumps species, the ship’s systems begin to fail, making it clear this is no accident.” I love a good space mystery.

It's due out on June 26. In the meantime, here's the Elcor nailing Shakespeare.