Mass Effect has six games in release order: Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect Galaxy (2009), Mass Effect 2 (2010), Mass Effect 3 (2012), Mass Effect Infiltrator (2012), and Mass Effect Andromeda (2017). Start with Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the 2021 remaster that puts the first three games in one launcher, and play them in number order.
Below are both orders, which games you can still buy, what the Legendary Edition bundles, where Andromeda fits, and what happened to the next game in the series.
Every Mass Effect Game in Release Order
| # | Game | Released | First platforms | Can you get it today? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass Effect | November 20, 2007 | Xbox 360, then PC in 2008 and PS3 in 2012 | Yes, as Mass Effect (2007) or remastered in Legendary Edition |
| 2 | Mass Effect Galaxy | June 2009 | iPhone | No, it was removed from the App Store |
| 3 | Mass Effect 2 | January 26, 2010 | PC and Xbox 360, then PS3 in 2011 | Yes, as Mass Effect 2 (2010) or remastered in Legendary Edition |
| 4 | Mass Effect 3 | March 6, 2012 | PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, then Wii U later that year | Yes, as Mass Effect 3 (2012) or remastered in Legendary Edition |
| 5 | Mass Effect Infiltrator | March 2012 | iOS first, then other phones | No, it was removed from mobile stores |
| 6 | Mass Effect Andromeda | March 21, 2017 | PC, PS4, and Xbox One | Yes |
Mass Effect Legendary Edition followed on May 14, 2021 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It is a remaster, not a seventh game, and it also runs on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S through backward compatibility.
Two companion apps sit outside this list because they are not full games. Mass Effect Datapad (2012) tied into Mass Effect 3 and was pulled in 2013. APEX HQ (2017) supported Andromeda’s multiplayer and has also been delisted.
Every Mass Effect Game in Story Order
The main games run in the order they came out. Only the two mobile spin-offs slot in between them.
| # | Game | When it is set |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass Effect | 2183 |
| 2 | Mass Effect Galaxy | Between the first two games |
| 3 | Mass Effect 2 | 2185, two years after the first game |
| 4 | Mass Effect 3 | 2186 |
| 5 | Mass Effect Infiltrator | Alongside Mass Effect 3, whose war effort it fed |
| 6 | Mass Effect Andromeda | The 29th century, more than 600 years after the trilogy, in another galaxy |
Where to Start
Start with the first Mass Effect, inside Legendary Edition. The trilogy is one long story about Commander Shepard, and your choices travel with you: a save from the end of one game can be imported into the next, so a decision in the first game can change a scene in the third. BioWare has said that playing the first two games and carrying your progress over is the most reliable way to get good results in Mass Effect 3’s final act.
You can start later if you really want to. Legendary Edition includes the Genesis comics, optional interactive recaps that let you set the big decisions before Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. We would still play the first game, because BioWare gave it the largest gameplay changes in the remaster, including tighter aiming and an end to class-based weapon limits.
Save Andromeda for last, or skip it if you only care about Shepard. It has a new cast and a new setting, so it needs nothing from the trilogy and the trilogy needs nothing from it. The mobile games are gone, and you miss no required story without them.
For where the series sits in the studio’s history, see our list of every BioWare game in order. Our 10 best BioWare games makes the case for playing it at all.
What the Legendary Edition Bundles
Mass Effect Legendary Edition has the single-player base content of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, plus over 40 DLC, including promo weapons, armors, and packs, all remastered for 4K. That covers these story add-ons:
- Mass Effect: Bring Down the Sky
- Mass Effect 2: Zaeed: The Price of Revenge, Kasumi: Stolen Memory, Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker, and Arrival
- Mass Effect 3: From Ashes, Extended Cut, Leviathan, Omega, and Citadel
It does not include Andromeda, the mobile games, Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer mode, or the first game’s Pinnacle Station DLC. A PC fan mod has since brought the multiplayer back, but that is separate from what EA sells.
Where Mass Effect Andromeda Fits
Mass Effect Andromeda is the only main game not in the bundle. You play as a Pathfinder, not Shepard, 2.5 million light years from Earth, and it is an open-world game with its own co-op multiplayer mode. EA sells it for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox One, and Steam carries the Deluxe Edition.
What Happened to the Next Mass Effect
It is not coming from BioWare. On October 21, 2026, EA said it was closing the studio, writing in its memo that a small team had been in early development on Mass Effect and that “we’ve made the decision not to move forward with this development.” BioWare’s own post that day says early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending.
Neither statement says whether the series continues at another studio, and as of November 8, 2026, EA has not announced another Mass Effect game. A TV series was in the works with Amazon: BioWare’s N7 Day 2025 post said it would tell a new story set after the trilogy. EA’s memo does not mention the show.
Composer Austin Wintory has also shared the music he pitched for the game. He wrote it before he knew any of the story, so it is a pitch, not a lost soundtrack.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Mass Effect games are there? Six, counting the two mobile spin-offs. The main series is four games: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, and Mass Effect Andromeda. Legendary Edition is a remaster of the first three, not a new game.
What order should I play the Mass Effect games in? Mass Effect, then Mass Effect 2, then Mass Effect 3, then Andromeda if you want more. Release order and story order are the same for those four.
Do I need to play Mass Effect 1 first? You do not have to, because the Genesis comics in Legendary Edition let you set its main choices before later games. You will get more out of the sequels if you play it, since your own decisions carry forward.
Is Mass Effect Andromeda a sequel to Mass Effect 3? Not directly. It takes place centuries later in a different galaxy, with a new lead character and crew. You can play it without having touched the trilogy.
Is Mass Effect 5 still happening? Not as BioWare was building it. EA ended that project when it announced the studio’s closure on October 21, 2026, and it has not said whether anyone else will make a new Mass Effect.
Can you still buy the original Mass Effect games? Yes. EA’s Mass Effect page lists Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010), and Mass Effect 3 (2012) separately from Legendary Edition.