The name of the next Mass Effect protagonist, successor to the iconic Commander Shepard, may have been discovered by eagle-eyed fans on Reddit. As reported by Eurogamer, a redditor named Benelioto keenly observed a dog tag with the name "RIDER" or "RYDER" in the N7 Day Trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda at the 0:44 mark.
The redditor also mentioned that the name may be a reference to Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. This fits perfectly with the previous naming trend, as Commander Shepard was named after Alan Shepard, the first American man in space. Both are American space pioneers, making this connection all the more meaningful for the franchise's narrative.
Furthermore, the announcement trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda released at E3 2015 prominently features the song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash. Another redditor, The_iceman2288, pointed out that "Ghost" is another name for "Spectre" — the high-ranked soldiers in the Mass Effect Universe, such as Commander Shepard. Hence, "Ghost Rider" could be referring to "Spectre Rider."
When Mass Effect fans initially asked BioWare Montreal Studios to change the music for the Andromeda trailer to something more fitting with the franchise's traditional sound, studio director Yanick Roy responded via retweet saying: "No, sorry, because there are very good reasons for that choice of song for the trailer that should become clear later on." This cryptic response has only fueled speculation that the musical choice was indeed a deliberate hint about the protagonist's name.
Mass Effect Andromeda is an upcoming action RPG third-person shooter from BioWare that serves as a fresh start for the franchise. The game will take players to unexplored galaxies in the Andromeda system, featuring new gameplay elements while staying true to the series' core identity. Scheduled to release in Fall 2016.
The level of detail and thought that BioWare has put into these subtle hints demonstrates the studio's commitment to creating a rich, interconnected narrative universe. If the Reddit sleuths are correct, "Ryder" will be stepping into some very large shoes as the new face of humanity's journey into the Andromeda galaxy.
