Mass Effect Meets Civilization In Brand-New Space Opera

Published Aug 22, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. Mass Effect fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, despite recent reports suggesting the franchise may be in trouble under EA ownership. Those concerns remain largely speculative, however, as BioWare has repeatedly confirmed that Mass Effect 5 is still in development, with the studio now focused exclusively on its beloved sci-fi franchise. With Gamescom 2026 just around the corner, fans are naturally hoping the long-awaited sequel could make a surprise appearance, although neither BioWare nor EA has confirmed that it will be part of the event. Even if Gamescom comes and goes without Shepard's galaxy resurfacing, there's still N7 Day on November 7, which has traditionally been BioWare's biggest opportunity to tease what's next. Meanwhile, Amazon's upcoming Mass Effect series continues moving forward at Prime Video, promising an entirely new story set after the original trilogy rather than a retelling of Commander Shepard's adventures. That said, Mass Effect fans looking for a fix will want to check out this incredible space opera game with Civilization-style gameplay, available on Steam now. If you're a Mass Effect or Civilization fan, or just a fan of 4X strategy games in general, the appropriately titled Space Opera is an upcoming project heading to Early Access on Steam soon. Currently, developer Bradley Labs expects that the "game will be available for download in December 2026 and will be in Early Access for at least 12–18 months." Space Opera is an upcoming turn-based 4X strategy game from solo developer Bradley Labs, heavily inspired by classics such as Space Empires V. Players build their own civilization by selecting a homeworld and species traits before exploring procedurally generated galaxies, colonizing planets, researching technology, and managing resources. A particularly ambitious feature is its "modular construction system," which currently includes more than 200 components for designing ships, stations, fighters, drones, satellites, and even ground troops. When fleets encounter enemies, Space Opera transitions directly from its strategic map into real-time tactical combat without a loading screen or separate battle instance. Bradley Labs currently describes the project as an advanced prototype, with AI empires, fog of war, an expanded ship designer, and Steam Deck optimization still in development. The developer cautiously expects a Steam Early Access launch later this year, followed by what will likely be a few years of development. It is currently available on itch.io for Windows and Linux on a name-your-own-price basis, effectively allowing players to download it for free, while its eventual Early Access price remains undecided. You can join the official Space Opera Discord for updates or follow Bradley Labs' YouTube channel for more devlogs. Brand Valve Original Release Date September 12, 2003