BioWare senior development director Chris Wynn has responded to criticisms about how Mass Effect: Andromeda, the next game in the spacefaring RPG series, is leaving Commander Shepard behind.

In response to a fan who said Mass Effect would be "embarrassing" without Shepard, Wynn said on Twitter that the RPG series doesn't necessarily need Shepard to be successful.

"Be open-minded to a Mass Effect with no Shepard," he said. "It can be good."

Shepard was the main character in Mass Effect 1-3. But in October 2012, BioWare confirmed that the next game in the series, which we now know is Andromeda, would not feature Shepard.

"There is one thing we are absolutely sure of--there will be no more Shepard, and the trilogy is over," BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas said at the time.

BioWare hasn't ruled out Shepard references in Andromeda. Speculation that he might somehow return continues as BioWare has yet to divulge the time period for Andromeda. Asked to share this information, Wynn said on Twitter, "not yet :)"

However, Shepard showing up doesn't seem likely. Wynn previously said Andromeda will not feature any familiar faces from past Mass Effect games. "Story-wise, it wouldn't make much sense," he said.

It's possible BioWare will have some Andromeda news to share soon, as the Mass Effect holiday, N7 Day (November 7), is now just a few weeks away. On November 7, 2014, BioWare released new Andromeda concept art and talked more about the game.

Andromeda launches in fall 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. For more, watch the video above and check out our previous coverage of the game here.

What do you think about the Mass Effect franchise moving forward without Shepard? Let us know in the comments below.