The multiplayer mode in BioWare’s forthcoming sci-fi RPG Mass Effect: Andromeda will not support cross-platform play – so no playing with friends in console land – and nor will it connect players via dedicated servers, instead relying on peer-to-peer (P2P) connections.
For all the latest details, here’s everything we know about Mass Effect: Andromeda.
The news was confirmed by Andromeda producer Fernando Melo on twitter, who points out that Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer also used P2P:
@tibermoon @Tinkham11 crossplay not in the current plans, sorry. and mp is peer to peer (same as me3)
— Fernando Melo (@DiscoBabaloo) January 27, 2017
The lack of cross-play isn’t much of a surprise, but the news about P2P might disappoint some. Another twitter user, Mike Portman, responds to Melo saying P2P is “unsecure and exploitable by hackers”.
Mass Effect: Andromeda’s multiplayer will be similar to that of Mass Effect 3, which was a co-operative wave defence mode against AI enemies. In fairness, the downsides of P2P networking are less impactful on this experience than in a competitive game, where the slightest difference in connection speed can decide an engagement. Personally, I was much more surprised by the news that For Honor, which aims to simulate precise melee combat, would use P2P networking.