More than most other game studios, BioWare has a library of games that remain beloved. Whether it’sShattered Steel,Baldur’s Gate,MDK2, orNeverwinter Nights, there are still fanbases hoping for a return, despite BioWare being a completely different company in 2021. There’s some catharsis, however, for fans of BioWare’s Chinese mythology-inspired action-RPGJade Empire. An ex-BioWare director and executive producer is sharing new details about aJade Empiresequel that never came to be.
Mark Darrah worked with BioWare for 23 years, initially as a programmer on early action-RPGs includingJade Empire. He left the studio in 2020 and has shared a variety of details about his time at BioWare since. In a recent video on Darrah’s Youtube channel, he talks about thecanceled sequelJade Empire 2, which started development after the original game’s release. Darrah says thatJade Empirewas ultimately canceled so BioWare could focus on the development ofMass EffectandDragon Age: Originsinstead.
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Originally,Jade Empire 2was intended to be a direct sequel to the first game. Darrah explains thatJade Empire 2would be set some decades after the first time to allow the world’s plot to move forward to state for an epic new story. However, BioWare made a big change at the studio that forced the team to rework the game.BioWare shifted to the Unreal Enginefor development due to the needs ofMass Effect. In doing so, BioWare reworkedJade Empire 2into a modern game.
As for what modern game means, Darrah explained the setting would still featureJade Empire’s universe, but far in the setting’s future. Further, the world would have had magic “suppressed” for hundreds of years. Players would play the role of an investigator from a “crisis response unit” looking into the use of magic. Darrah says that this concept would ultimately be shifted into adifferent game namedRevolver, which was also canceled.
One big detail thatJade Empirefans will appreciate confirmation of is the ending BioWare would branch off from for its sequel. Theversion ofJade Empire 2supposed to be set in the far future would be based on the option for players to sacrifice themselves to allow Wu the Lotus Blossom to reign over the Jade Empire. In other words,Jade Empire’s bad ending.
It’s unlikely thatBioWare will ever revisitJade Empireagain. As well-remembered asJade Empireis by its fans, it doesn’t have much of a cult following asking for a sequel. BioWare also simply isn’t the kind of studio to revisit its older franchises anymore. Still, if it has to be this way, it’s good that people like Darrah are willing to share what information they have about what could have been hadJade Empiregotten the sequel it deserved.
