No, Mass Effect Aren’t Adding the Cut LGBT Romance Options Back In
We’ll be honest, Mass Effect and LGBT romance don’t usually walk hand in hand. At least, not until BioWare admitted that the Asari race were all female, and Male Shepard finally got the chance to kiss Kaidan Alenko and crewmember, Steve Cortez.
Yes, despite all of the good of the Mass Effect series, its treatment of LGBT romance and people has always been something that’s left some feeling cold and forgotten. Queer fans have only been made to feel worse, however, at the reveal that both Jacob Taylor and Jack, two squadmates from Mass Effect 2, were originally supposed to be available to both Male and Female Shepards, but was cut.
The reasons for the two of these romances being cut slightly differ, but can ultimately be summed up by ‘the world just wasn’t ready’ for the inclusion of LGBT romance options in Mass Effect. Whether you believe that or not, considering Dragon Age’s – another game from BioWare – inclusion of same-sex romance options throughout all three of its games, is entirely up to you.
Regardless, the reveal of the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has left queer players wondering if we’ll get any of this Jack or Jacob content back. After all, the game apparently started production back in early 2019, and if Jack and Jacob’s romance was already in production before being scrapped… Perhaps this content could be restored?
“We’re not changing anything in the story or the way the characters or the plot points worked out,” Mac Walters, project director, told The Verge. He later answered The Verge’s question on the alleged cut romances by stating “no one ever said we couldn’t do it.” Honestly, we just think that makes the lack of same-sex romance options in Mass Effect 2 worse.
Obviously this is disappointing, especially since we’ve been given mixed answers on whether Jack and Jacob’s same-sex romance was actively cut in the first place. There is also an argument to be made that the inclusion of these romances in the Legendary Edition would feel like a rewrite of BioWare’s previous sins – such as what they’re doing with the way they handle the character, Miranda.
While you can expect no additional LGBT romance options in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, there’s always the modding scene on PC that offer the options you crave.
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