Mass Effect: Andromeda Trailer Breakdown: Everything We Know So Far

Mass Effect: Andromeda takes place 600 years after the conclusion of the original trilogy and is set in the Andromeda galaxy, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Being 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light years) away from us here on Earth, is also the closest galaxy to our own.

The Andromeda Initiative, featured heavily in recent images and trailers, is a privately-funded multi-species project with the aim of colonizing the Andromeda galaxy.

"Founded in 2176 and launched in 2185, the Andromeda Initiative is a civilian, multi-species project created to send scientists, explorers and colonists on a one-way trip to settle in the Andromeda Galaxy. With powerful benefactors lending their support, the program has grown substantially in scope since its inception. The Initiative’s ultimate goal is to establish a permanent presence on the seemingly resource-rich frontier of Andromeda, and eventually create a reliable route between it and the Milky Way Galaxy."

Looking at the official timeline on the Andromeda Initiative website, eagle-eyed fans of the series might notice that 2185 is the year in which the events of Mass Effect 2 took place. This make Andromeda, confusingly, a prequel to Mass Effect 3 that takes place 600 years later. Wait, what?

The project sees four Arks, the large ships from the trailers so far, being sent out on the mission. Each arc carries a different race - presumably the council races (more on that later). As well as the Arks, there is another ship called 'The Nexus.' This is where the Andromeda Initiative's founder, Jien Garson, resides and is described as a forward command center staffed by multiple species that arrive in Andromeda early to pave the way for the Arks.

Each Ark also has a Pathfinder on board. Described as equal parts soldier and scientist, the Pathfinder's role is to act as a leader of sorts for their Ark, guiding the mission to find habitable worlds.