We may be years away from playing the next Mass Effect — which, lacking an official name, we’ll call Mass Effect 5 — but BioWare has already teased something significant.

N7 Day is the franchise’s annual celebration, held by BioWare every November 7 since 2012. In-game, N7 is a Systems Alliance military designation: N denotes special forces and 7 the highest proficiency level, a nod to Shepard and the squad.

This year’s N7 Day confirmed the studio is still building the next Mass Effect despite layoffs. In a blog post, longtime executive producer Mike Gamble hid a cipher that fans eventually cracked, revealing fresh artwork for the upcoming game. The image shows Krogan figures and carries the subtitle “Civil War,” hinting at a storyline thread: deep divisions within the Krogan, split into at least two factions.

Series veterans know the Krogan well: a large, reptilian, bipedal species from Tuchanka. Renowned for surviving their planet’s brutal conditions, they later ravaged it in a nuclear war. The survivors splintered into tribes that battled incessantly. While they’re famed as warriors, some Krogan would rather break the cycle of endless conflict — which could be the core of the rift, though at this stage it remains speculation.

The next Mass Effect is likely three to four years out. In the meantime, fans will probably have to make do with concept art and early teases (unless unexpected leaks appear). In a worst-case scenario, Electronic Arts could still change course — even to the extent of selling or shuttering the studio.

Source: WCCFTech