The longtime voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect franchise, Jennifer Hale, says she has both excitement and concern about the series, but more importantly, hope. Even though BioWare first announced it was working on the new game more than five years ago, very little information has been shared.
Talking with GamesRadar, Hale said that her biggest worry is whether the creative culture that made the original trilogy special is still there. “I have so many hopes. But I also have concerns as BioWare was sold to someone who’s now also being sold, and we don’t know…I mean the culture and the ethos that created that incredible game, I don’t know how intact it is or isn’t. I have no idea and no way to know,” she said. “I know the spirit of it is very much alive and well, and the appetite and the community for more is absolutely there, and I will be there with bells on if I were asked to.”
“Bring Shepard back!” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/w7kqQrwZ10
— GamesRadar+ (@GamesRadar) March 13, 2026
One of Hale’s biggest hopes is simple: She would love to see Commander Shepard return and even joked about how fun it would be if both versions of Shepard could appear together. Talking about her dream scenario, Hale laughed and said, “Oh, bring Shepard back. Find a way for Mark [Meer] and I to be together in the same universe. Wouldn’t that be fun? And bring the whole crew back.”
