A now-deleted description of a new Mass Effect 4 lithograph originally said that the game would feature the returning Commander Shepard.
The lithograph shows an image of four figures emerging from a ship into a Geth-shaped crater. The poster was released on N7 Day last year, however, despite being an older image, new Mass Effect 4 details have apparently been revealed in the product description for the print version. .
Details were discovered by YouTuber MrHulthen (via GamingBolt), where the listing teased the return of Commander Shepard. It originally read: "Shepard's latest quest may have ended the Reaper threat, but at great cost, including Earth itself." As Shepard and the survivors have to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what's next.
While Mass Effect 3's ending has several outcomes, most of them end with Shepard dead. Except in the "perfect ending" where Shepard is seen breathing. However, if this description is to be believed, it looks like Shepard will be back.
Interestingly, the description mentions that defeating the Reapers was also to Earth's detriment. This could suggest that the game is going down the final "Destruction" route, which sees all of the synthetic life in the Galaxy dead along with parts of Earth. It's unclear if Earth is completely destroyed, but if it is and the "Destroy" ending becomes canon, the universe will find itself in a tight spot at the start of Mass Effect 4.
However, take all of this with a pinch of salt. The description was very quickly edited to remove any mention of Shepard. It's hard to know what that could mean. This could suggest that whoever posted this made a mistake posting the description, or it could suggest that this was information not yet meant to be revealed and has since been removed to try to hide it.
Or, if you're particularly suspicious, maybe it was written and then removed on purpose to speculate with the community and the press.
Either way, it's an interesting tidbit, especially when details about the game and its story are sorely lacking. Shepard's return would be a huge step forward for many Mass Effect fans, and a true commitment from Bioware to return to what made the series tick in its original trilogy, and a far cry from Mass Effect Andromeda.