Arc 6 (Mass Effect Next Theory)

Greetings Internet (and Mass Effect fans),

I know, I know, there are plenty of Mass Effect theories out there. But the more the merrier. So, here we go...

Arc 6

Let's start with the basics, what is an Arc ? It's a vessel meant to allow a group of people to survive / escape a (natural) disaster (of biblical proportions in most cases). For the Nexus and Arc 1 through 5, the disaster in question is the Reaper War. But in Mass Effect Next, the war is over. (Regardless of which ending you picked.) So, Arc 6 needs a new disaster. The question is....what is it ?

The Disaster

One of the teasers that BioWare has given us is "Anomalies detected all across space." I think that the anomalies are the disaster, and that we have already seen this disaster play out on a smaller scale. In Mass Effect 2, we have a radiation source in the form of star Dholen, that is render the planets around it uninhabitable for organic life.

My theory: Whoever the new big bad is, messed with Dholen as a test of Milky Way galaxy shield technology. They also messed with the blueprints of the Crucible. Their alterations caused the Crucible blast to interact with dark energy and create the anomalies. Anomalies that are now the radiation source with the affected area being the entire Milky Way. 

Who is on Arc 6?

My guess is that like Arc 5 (aka the Keelah), Arc 6 will be multi-species ship. If I was designing it, I would use it to make the list of evacuated species longer. So Raloi, Virtual Aliens, Geth, maybe a second load of Batarians (now that their old government is gone, I figure they are no longer the outcasts of the galaxy), some extra Quarians and so on.

Who do I think the Big Bad are?

Some folks on YouTube have pitched the idea that the Jardaan are the next big bad. And having heard their arguments, I think they are right. It is simply to perfect a way to tie Andromeda into the story. If Dholen was a shield test, we know that our Milky Way heroes don't have the shields needed to withstand the lethal radiation the Jardaan unleash on the galaxy. But...

The Jardaan created Remnant tech and Ryder and co have access to that. I think they used it to upgrade their shields (probably to protect themselves against the Scourge), accidentally giving them the only Jardaan radiation proof shields around, which brings me to...

My Guess About The Story

My crazy theory....Next is going to be a loop. Sounds nuts? Well, stay on the crazy train, please, people. In your first play-through, Arc 6 doesn't make it. Instead, Ryder and co find a buoy, which serves as McGuffin for them travelling back to the Milky Way. 

They return to find a galaxy with only the Jardaan in it. Everybody else is dead. The organics were killed by the radiation and the synthetics were wiped out by the Scourge. So what do Ryder and co do? They travel back in time to recruit Liara and change history. (By doing all sorts of missions in the Milky Way. Since it confirmed to be the main setting.)

Now comes the good part. You had to replay ME3 several times to finish leveling up and get all the best guns. But in Next, New Game+ becomes part of the story. In every cycle, based on the decisions you made in previous games and in Next...

1. The fate / condition of Arc 6 at the start of your next play-through changes, resulting in...
   
2. ....Unlocking extra mission
3. ...More Squad mates (You start with Liara and Shepard. With each cycle giving you one extra.)
4. Upgrades for your ship...

As for the end game. I think the counterpart of the Suicide Mission is Shepard and his team (including Ryder) boarding Arc 6 and getting it safely into Andromeda, breaking the loop and setting up the next game. 

DLCs

Oops...almost forgot that there are two Ryders. So, how does that work ? I'm thinking at if you played Andromeda, your player Ryder goes to the Milky Way, while NPC/other Ryder stays behind to take over as Pathfinder. If you didn't play Andromeda you get to pick your Ryder at the start of your first play-through.

I also think that the Tempest stays behind in Andromeda for the other Ryder to use. And that the Mudskipper is a special craft build for the trip back to the Milky Way (Trekkies: Like Voyager build the Delta Flyer.) As what the DLCs are about, I think they'll fill in the Andromeda side of the story. 

With the rescue of the Keelah / Arc 5 being at the top of (other) Ryders to-do list. And that is the end of my thinking out loud. Have a nice day and...

Regards,

Ruben Hilbers (aka @Dantes74302)