Mark Mier and Jennifer Hale, voice actors for Commander Shepard, will join other voice actors from "Mass Effect" and BioWare developers next week for a special online panel celebrating N7 Day.

BioWare established November 7 as N7 Day in 2012, a sort of commemorative event where fans could share art, stories, cosplay photos, and memories of "Mass Effect" games. It quickly grew into a useful viral marketing campaign, but it's fair to say that the whole thing has lost a bit of its luster in recent years: in 2019, for example, BioWare added a "Mass Effect"-themed skin to "Anthem" in honor of the day, but not as a giveaway It was as an item available for $8 a piece.

N7 Day in 2020 will be more interesting. Shepherds Stephen Blum (Grant), Kimberly Brooks (Ashley Williams), Rafael Subaj (Kaidan Alenko), Courtenay Taylor (Jack), Alix Wilton Regan (Samantha Trainor), William Sayers (Maudin Solus), DC Douglas (Legion), Ali Hillis (Liara Tusoni), plus BioWare writer Patrick Weeks and editor Karen Weeks, who will join a "special panel" celebrating this year's N7 Day.

While the reunion is cool on its own (although I'm curious why my Gallus and Rex double-whammy squad isn't on the attendee list), the fact that BioWare went to the trouble of organizing such an occasion makes me think there might be more to it. Perhaps soon?

By the way, I'm not teasing a super-secret inside story here; I have no idea what BioWare's motives are or what is going on behind the scenes. While a remaster of the Mass Effect trilogy has not been officially announced, there are rumors that it is an "HD title" that EA announced earlier this year; wouldn't it make sense for one of EA's most popular series to be released at some point?

A big N7 Day reunion will be held on November 7 at 11:00 am PST. The promised link has not yet been received, but my guess is that it will take place on Twitch.